Crimson: Another Vampire Love Story
by Alice M. Radcliffe
Summary: This is a rewrite of the plotline between Elena Gilbert and Damon Salvatore. I have changed their names and roles a little bit, but I'm sure you'll catch on pretty quickly. Evie has been living in Wolfcrest but nothing really strange had happened until her senior year at Wolfcrest High. It all started when she met Cal Moretti. Now, nothing will ever be the same.
1. The Beginning

Crimson

Another Vampire Love Story

Chapter One:

The Beginning

* * *

After a long day, you curl up on the couch with a warm blanket and the thoughts of the day just sputtering around in your mind only to be left with nothing to do. You turn on the television hoping for some good old-fashioned American entertainment. A movie is on. The girl is standing there, calling after the guy with every fiber of her being, hoping that he'll hear her so she can say what she has to say. As usual, what she has to say is that she did something wrong and now she realizes that all she ever wanted to do was be in love with this guy. Countless times this happens. Why is it always the girls that make the mistakes? Is it because we are women that we're forced to assume a feminine definition? I am a woman so I have to be deceitful or vindictive or maybe even a little scatter brained? No! I am a person; a human being. This is my standing opinion. Movies that include a woman falling in love with a man after confessing that she made the biggest mistake of her life are the most pathetic, over-used films in existence. It just doesn't happen that way in real life. Most of the time, it's the other way around.

Today Mrs. Hawker was lecturing us about the functions of subatomic particles. Yeah, sorry I wasn't interested in hearing about why college science was so amazing. I was a bit agitated to begin with. I hadn't eaten in almost three days and it was starting to take its toll on me. All of this added up to me sprinting at the fastest "normal" pace I could manage out of there as soon as the hour was over and I could finally get back to my dorm. I needed time. I wasn't ready.

As soon as I was safely inside, I closed the door and locked myself up tight in my room. My ring was weighing me down like it was made of solid gold over fourteen carats. Out of impulse, I threw the curtains closed and curled up in my bed, chucking the ring across the room with all my might. He was here. It didn't even have to be in person. Just the thought, the mental picture of him in my mind, made him seem like he was here, standing right in front of me with his gentle eyes and award-winning smile.

A weak mind slips if you let it. Mine slipped all the way back to last year when everything seemed so perfect; back to the beginning.

It was my first day of my senior year in high school back home in Wolfcrest. I was determined to start trying to make something of myself. I would be a part of the crowd and stop earning the official brand of the loner. Don't get me wrong, I had friends. I mean, I wasn't Miss Popular but I had childhood friends that I carried with me through the years until that point. We would go to the movies together, talk about the strange things that always seem to happen in high school and tell each other everything, no secrets.

All of that changed that day… all because of him. Cal Moretti was the new kid that year. New kids in a small town like Wolfcrest tend to get noticed but he would have stood out in any crowd. His eyes were a perfect shade of green, almost a rogue leafy color. You could spend hours staring into them trying to find the forest within. His hair was the common slightly spikey hairdo, dirty blonde almost.

I was innocently walking to my first period class when I suddenly ran into him. I hadn't seen him. All of a sudden he was just there, like he had materialized out of nowhere.

When we collided, I dropped my books all over the floor and I was quick to apologize. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to—I, uh, sorry. I'm such a klutz." I dropped to my knees to gather them as the other kids continued to walk past, completely detached from everything else in the world.

He did the same, calm and cool. "You don't need to apologize. I shouldn't have been standing around." He picked up all the books I hadn't already stacked back in my arms and held them out to me. "I'm having a little trouble finding my class."

I took my things and neatly placed them back into the right order, according to class. "I could help you, if you'd like. What's the class?"

"Mr. Brady's French class?"

When I realized that he was in the exact same class that I was in, butterflies began to flutter around in my stomach. He was so cute, and polite, too. Half the boys in that high school wouldn't waste their time with you unless you were willing to go "all the way" with them without even getting to know them first. The only other guy who was that decent was Ben Whitman and that was because he believed in actually treating a girl like a human being.

"Um, yeah. It's right over there." I pointed to the room without moving toward it.

He flashed his pearly whites at me, and that's when I was hooked. "Thanks for your help." Like every other normal person, he turned and went into the room.

I was still stuck in the hallway—that is, until I snapped out of it and darted into the room. My lack of skill in the foreign language repelled me from sitting anywhere else but the back corner of the room. I pretty much owned that desk. No one else dared to ever sit there.

Beside me as usual was my best friend, Tara. She was one of the few people in my band of friends. That day, she was paying particular attention to the new kid. She measured and psychoanalyzed every movement in great detail during lunch when we finally had time to really talk.

"Cal Moretti is perfect for you! He was looking right at you the whole time." Tara gave me a crooked brow and glared. "Did you talk to him?"

"Does dropping my books all over the floor and helping him find the French room count?" I deflected the inner meanings she might have had attached somewhere to that question. I focused all of my energy on eating my lunch.

"Absolutely it does! I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

I chuckled. "Tara, we couldn't speak until now. When was I supposed to tell you? Besides, I don't think it's that big of deal. I doubt he's interested in the girl who stumbled all over herself on her way to class." I pointed out matter-of-factly.

She nudged me. "You don't know that. And until we do, you are not going to mess up your chance to get to know him. Deal?"

I grinned, knowing she was just living her dream through me. "Deal."

For the rest of the day, I noticed his presence in almost all of my classes except for math. I couldn't look at him without blushing but at the same time I couldn't look away. His eyes, his hair, his lips, I took it all in one at a time. More than once, my teacher would catch me off guard to ask a question about the topic I hadn't been paying any attention to. And every time, Cal would cover for me by answering the question as if it were his name that had been called instead of mine. All in all, it was too embarrassing for me to take so as soon as the last bell had rung I went to my locker without taking any detours to get my stuff and leave.

Instead of going my usual way, I took a shortcut through the park. For some reason I didn't understand I sat down next to my favorite willow tree by the water hole. I just wanted to take in the scenery again. I was out there until it started to get dark, merely watching the ducks bob across the water.

That was where the second encounter took place. Cal was sitting on a bench near the far edge of the park. I pretended not to see him there but then he called to me.

"Evelyn, isn't it?"

With hesitation, I turned to face him. "Um, yeah. Hi."

"Care to join me?" He asked, patting the seat beside him.

"I'm actually on my way home right now. It's my turn to set the table for dinner."

He immediately got up and came to me instead. "Is it alright if I walk you home? I'd feel awful if I knew you were walking home alone in the dark."

That confused me a little bit. He didn't even know me. Why would he care? However, I wasn't about to refuse him. "Sure."

As we trekked on, the silence was replaced with a more awkward form of silence.

"So, you're new in town, huh?"

"Sort of," he began. "I've actually lived here before. I was away but, yes, I just got back."

"Really? Where were you before you came here?"

He smirked at my pathetic excuse for small talk. "Around. I didn't stay in one place for too long. My family and I were born to travel." He looked down at me. "Do you normally go to the park after school?"

"No."

Cal waited a moment. "Would you care to elaborate?" I caught a hint of a grin on his face.

"Uh, I just don't, I guess. I used to when I was a little girl but I guess it's lost its appeal." The last time I had been there was the summer of '99. My mother had told me to go play for a while so she could get her work done. She'd given me a dollar for ice cream and I was out of there. I innocently pranced around the playground until I got extremely bored and went back home. When I got back, there was an ambulance and a handful of police cars surrounding the house. As I passed them to the front door, I saw their faces, glum and yet somewhat apologetic. Minutes later my only living parent was pronounced dead. She'd accidentally fallen down the stairs, fracturing her spine with internal bleeding. The park had reminded me of this event and I never went back.

My expression gave me away. "I'm sorry if I've upset you."

I shook my head, eyes closed. "No, it's fine. The park reminds me of my mother."

"What happened?"

"Stair accident."

He nodded. "I understand. My parents died as well. I'm living with my uncle."

"I'm sorry," I apologized. I looked over at his face. He didn't seem too sad, so it wasn't a recent event, but the torture was still in his eyes.

I was mesmerized by his eyes to the point of ultimate clumsiness: I tripped over a tree root and almost fell on my face, scraping the palms of my hands and dropping my stuff everywhere. "Oh, great." I whispered to myself. I examined my raw hands and sat down on the sidewalk.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he picked up my things and put them back in my bag.

To check, I rolled up my pants to expose my bloody knees. "Shoot." _These are my good jeans._ When I tried to stand, I only teetered and just about hit the ground again!

Luckily he caught me this time and swung me up into his arms. With my bag slung over his shoulder, we made it the rest of the way to my house. We continued to talk about our current living situations. His Uncle Louis lived on the edge of town in their family mansion. They were quite close, it appeared. Cal always had his old room for when he comes to town. I told him about my Aunt Fauna from my dad's side and how she was demoted to the parental guardian status.

He put me down when we got to my front porch and handed me my bag.

"Thanks," I said with a smile.

His smile was much more brilliant than mine. Even his teeth were perfect. "You're welcome."

I took out my keys and unlocked the door. I turned to say good night but by the time I did he was nowhere in sight.

Confused and yet somewhat excited, I ran inside and up the stairs to my room and immediately called Tara to apologize for being late. I was supposed to pick her up from her shift at the grille so we could hang out at her house.

"I'm so sorry. I'll be right there. I just got to clean up first."

"What happened? You sound kind of flustered."

I wedged the phone between my ear and my shoulder to give me the ability to scrub the blood off my knees and pants and talk at the same time. "I ran into Cal on the way home and tripped on a root. He had to carry me home because I fell so hard."

The excited squeal that followed made me nearly fall backward off the side of the tub. "Girl, I can't believe you pulled it off! He is so into you."

"Maybe. I don't know. We'll talk about it when I pick you up. See you in a minute."

"'Kay, bye."

After I bandaged my kneecaps and my hands and changed into my pajama pants, I went to my bag to take out my wallet. It's usually right on top but for some reason I couldn't find it. I turned that thing inside out but I still didn't see it. I needed my license and my money just in case. My mother, had she been alive, would have killed me if I left without them. More searching led to more disappointment. _Bag it_, I thought. Everyone knows everyone around here. If, for some outlandish reason, I ended up getting pulled over I could let them know what happened and everything would be fine.

With this in mind, I grabbed my keys and my cellphone and bounded down the stairs to the front door where Aunt Fauna was standing with her arms folded and her foot tapping repeatedly.

"Where are you going?"

This wasn't the Fauna I knew. "Um, to Tara's."

A smile replaced her grimace and she stepped aside. "I guessed as much. Just joking around. You two have fun!" She called as I ran out to my car in a full sprint.

"I will!" I called back to her, tearing the driver's side door open and climbing in. And on to Wolfcrest Bar and Grille I went.

Well, almost.

Not ten blocks away from the grille, I saw flashing blue and red lights in my rearview mirror. I quickly pulled over and went over the story in my head. _I forgot my wallet. I'm sorry, I'm a little out of it at the moment._ I rolled down my window when a person walked over to my car and began speaking without even meeting his or her gaze.

"I'm sorry, I forgot my—"

"Wallet?" The person finished my sentence with a low chuckle.

I peered out my window and saw Cal with his heavenly grin standing by my car. "How did you—?"

"I found it on my way back to my house."

"I figured as much. Actually, I was wondering how you knew this was my car? And what's with the squad car?"

"I'm in the good graces of the sheriff. I asked him if he could give me a ride so I could give this back to you." He took my wallet out of his pocket and handed it over.

Slowly, I took it and threw it on the dashboard. "Uh, I'd love to return the favor. If you want, I can take you home."

He smiled. "That's okay. You look like you have somewhere you have to be. I'll see you at school tomorrow. Try to stay upright until then, okay?"

_Kill me now and feed me to the monkeys. He's making me melt. _"I will. See you tomorrow." I beamed.

"See you then." He tapped my car and waved as he spun towards the sheriff.

I rolled up my window and nearly died right there in the front seat of my SUV. I hardly remembered even driving to the grille. It was like I rolled up my window only to appear in the parking lot a second later. Of course, Tara was waiting out front giving me the famous "Tara glare" all the way to the car.

"You're double late."

"And I'm double sorry. I had another Cal crisis."

Tara got in with lightning speed after she heard his name, shut the door, put her seatbelt on and was instantly ready to listen all about it. "What happened?" She asked, overeager.

Naturally, that's all we talked about the whole way to her house and for most of the night. She psychoanalyzed every word and action until I suddenly didn't know what to think anymore. Could he really be interested in me? Average, orphan girl Evie? He was an orphan himself which evened out the playing field but he was amazing. I could tell just by spending that short amount of time with him that this was true.

Ah, the human condition. How sweet and innocent I was back then. Nowadays I'm stuck in a college dorm room with no friends and no one to care. I suppose that's the life I had chosen for myself. FYI, roommates don't count. They weren't built to be friends with. They're just the annoying people that you're stuck living with until you can live by yourself once again in blissful silence.

The next day of my senior year was spent exchanging looks with Cal Moretti. After school, he offered to drive me home. That's when he asked me out on our first date. I humbly agreed and went inside to video chat with Tara. She helped me pick out my outfit for that night—a purple blouse and black skinny jeans with my mother's amethyst tear drop necklace and earrings—and coached me on what I should talk about if the chore of picking a topic fell on my shoulders.

I raced to the door when the doorbell rang Saturday night. I was so eager to see his handsome face again. There was so much to learn about him that I felt like I could talk to him for hours and never truly understand who he really was. He was a man of mystery, the new kid on the block. No one but him knew who he was.

When I opened it, he was standing before me in a t-shirt, jeans, and a leather jacket. Adonis was staring at me through his leafy green eyes, smiling at how uncool and speechless I was. "Hi." I finally gasped.

"Hey, Evie. Are you ready to go?"

My Aunt Fauna came up behind me and stood by my way out. "Don't keep her out too late." She warned, pretending to be sweet with her hair down in playful reddish brown curls. "I'm Evie's Aunt Fauna." She held out her hand across the threshold, easing up from her fake "parental guardian" routine.

Cal shook her hand, his homely grin still set in place. "Cal Moretti. It's nice to meet you."

"And you…" I could tell from the calculating look on her face that she was making her final decision about him right then and there.

"EVIE!"

I slowly turned away from the memories to glare at my roommate right in the eyes. "What?" I growled. My insides were ripping at themselves, at my flesh, trying to escape from my body. If this girl didn't leave my presence, she would surely get strangled.

"It's your turn to load the dishwasher."

"No, it's your turn," I corrected, looking her straight in the eye.

She blinked her wide eyes before she came to and nodded. "You're right. Sorry."

"Close the door behind you." I hissed over my shoulder at her as I curled back into myself. To remember.

Yes, Fauna Richards was judging Cal.

"I'll have her back at a respectful time, Miss Richards."

At that point I was practically jogging out the door for his car before she decided that he was anything other than perfect. I left her standing in the doorway with her arms folded and her lips pursed, eyes squinted at us as we got in and Cal drove away.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized. "My aunt is kind of… well, she hasn't been the same since my dad died on duty."

"Was he a policeman?"

"He was Wolfcrest's Fire Department Chief," I corrected casually. My father had saved hundreds of lives, some repeatedly, while he was alive… or so I was told. My mother, Sherry, used to tell me all about him. He'd passed away the spring right after I was born. I was only five or six months old when he left me alone with Mom forever. Naturally, she kicked the bucket five years later. For all I knew, she had thrown herself down those stairs from depression.

He noticed the change in my expression and eased off the subject. "My father was merely the son of a rich man. He hadn't earned an honest man's wages one day in his entire lifetime. My mother was his wife, so she was equally rich." He took his eyes off the road to look at me. "You're lucky to have had honorable parents, even for a little while."

I gave an honest effort at smiling but all I could manage was a quarter of a grin. "Thanks." After this strange turn in the conversation, I couldn't remember a single one of Tara's tips. So, I continued in the only way I could see possible. "You never did tell me how it happened." My curiosity had not been forgotten in the shuffle of madness.

He shrugged. "It's been a long time since it happened. I've been used to not really talking about it." He realized this wasn't deterring me from the path and continued. "Uh, it was a 'caught in the crossfire' kind of accident. They were walking down the street on their way back to their car when two men were exchanging gunfire on the street. They died instantly."

"That's awful. It must have been hard for you."

"It was but, like I said, it happened a long time ago."

Men and their ability to bottle up or ignore their emotions; I envy them. "Did they ever find who did it?"

He shook his head. "And I doubt they ever will. That place was a war zone." He pulled into the parking lot and shut off the engine before he got out and opened my door for me. Then he offered me his hand. I got out as well only he didn't let go once I was out. Together, we entered the restaurant. He even let me pick where I wanted to sit.

When we walked in, I saw Tara standing by the booths to the right. She gave me a thumbs up and then pointed to her open tables while Cal wasn't looking.

I led the way over to one of the tables for two and sat down. He pushed in my chair and did the same. He was either trying too hard or he was actually polite. Coming from a rich family that could be possible but I couldn't be sure just yet.

Tara came to our table with menus and set them down before us. "Welcome to Wolfcrest's Bar and Grille."

I giggled. "Hi Tara."

"Tara?" Cal asked with bewilderment. "I didn't know you worked here."

"Yup, got to earn gas money somehow. Can I start you guys off with something to drink?"

"I'll have a coffee." He replied.

"Water for me, please."

She wrote it down on her pad, stuffed the pad in her apron and said, "I'll be right back with those." Then she walked away. As she did, she spun around and winked at me. That was good, I suppose. She'd have to translate later.

Cal looked into my eyes as we waited awkwardly in silence. He was probably trying to avoid continuing our terrible conversation.

I grinned. "Will you excuse me for a second?"

He nodded. "Sure."

"Great. I'll be right back." I sprung to my feet and sped over to the coffee machines where Tara was standing. "Help me! I forgot what you told me to talk about." I whispered to her urgently.

"Evie, if you are already stuck it means you have to calm the heck down. I'm not going to be able to help you through your entire first date. Give him a minute to talk. I'm sure he'll have something to say to you. He wouldn't have asked you out if he didn't." She reminded me, putting glasses on a small round tray.

"Right…" I gave her a hug and slowly trudged back to my seat.

Cal had gotten so bored that he had folded his napkin into an origami crane. He glanced up at me as I sat down. "Do you like it?" He inquired with a low snicker.

Smiling—and secretly beating myself up for being so nervous for no reason—I answered, "It's beautiful." I was also slightly impressed. My creativity back then was practically nonexistent.

He pushed the crane aside to make room for his hands which he folded on the table—on his right hand, I noticed a rather large and gaudy, black ring. Then he peered at me. "So, is this your first date?"

I blushed. "Is it that obvious?"

"No," He contradicted. "I'm just experienced with reading people. I'm honored to be the first." He took my hands in his and looked even deeper into my soul. "There's no need to be nervous. I promise, you're safe with me."

As soon as he said that, I felt calmer and less flustered. If the grille had spontaneously caught on fire, I would have remained at peace. To remove the unintended silence, I said, "Why don't you tell me a little about yourself and then I'll believe you." If I wasn't mistaken, I was accumulating some game.

Tara came with our drinks and pulled out her waitress pad. "Are you two ready to order?"

"Chicken salad, por favor."

He chuckled. "And I'll have the steak, medium rare."

"Cool beans. You kids have fun. Your food will be ready shortly."

He turned to look at her until she was out of earshot. "What would you like to know?"

"Everything."

Without any further encouragement, he started shooting off facts. "My name is Cal Michelangelo Moretti. I was born on August 27th and I'm eighteen years old. A couple weeks ago, I moved in with my Uncle Louis. We live on the Moretti estate on the edge of town. I'm a Virgo, my favorite color is green and I'm a chocolate addict." He grinned. "What about you?"

"My name's Evelyn Anastasia Richards and I'm seventeen years old. I've been in Wolfcrest my entire life, as did most of my ancestors. I'm a Scorpio, my favorite color is red and I love vanilla." I stuck out my tongue and grinned. Our hands were still touching on the table.

"I'll have to remember that. What do you do when you have time to yourself?"

Time to myself? It never seemed like I ever really had time to myself. I always had the lingering feeling of everyone else's problems to do anything truly alone. "Uh, I suppose I would read or listen to music. You?"

"The same. Occasionally, I'll write. What kind of music do you listen to?"

"Pretty much anything. My dad worked as a DJ on the weekends to bring in extra money and when he died, I inherited all of his CDs. What do you write about?"

This seemed to be more of a sensitive subject than the others. It took a second for him to recover from the invisible bolt of lightning. "Life, mostly. At the end of the day there always seems to be a lot to write about."

"Maybe I'll get to read a little sometime."

"Perhaps." He chuckled. "I may just spare you from the torment. Have you ever tried to write?"

"Tried, I guess. Attempts aren't the same as doing."

Cal smiled. "But it's a start. I'm sure if you really put your mind to it you would be able to." Then he sat back in his seat with a smirk. "Just a thought."

If he only knew how well I was doing now. It's all his fault I'm doing this. "Perhaps." I needed to find something else to talk about quickly before he asked—.

"Give me your most embarrassing moment."

It's amazing that I had only known him for so long and yet I almost knew what he was thinking. "Are you requesting because you're going to give me yours or is this an 'I'm going to watch a girl squirm and then leave with her dirty little secrets' kind of a moment?"

"Not at all. If you'd like, I will tell you mine first and then you can decide whether or not you wish to tell yours."

"No, that's okay." Living my entire life as a klutzy kid, almost every moment of my life was embarrassing. How could I possibly choose one? I've done everything from accidental dumpster diving to running into Cal in the hallway and dropping all my books. The most embarrassing moment would be the latter. The fact that I found him even the least bit attractive made everything a whole lot worse. Should I tell him? Well, I did. "I ran into you in the hall… literally."

He laughed and gave my hand a squeeze. "But look what has happened since. Isn't that worth something?" After he took a moment to breathe, he said, "I told my friend I liked a girl and he told everyone I knew, including the girl. They ended up dating. Who do you think wins?" He looked up.

That's when I realized Tara was standing there with our food, listening to our every word. "As I am slightly biased in this situation, I'm going to have to call it a tie." She set the plates of food in front of us and took a step back with the tray at her side. "If you guys need anything, just holler." Again, she left us alone.

I wanted to die. Dating was a terrible ordeal for me as was socializing with anyone other than Ben Whitman or Tara Healy. Cal was cute and for some reason I felt like I could talk to him but at the same time I wanted to bolt out of that restaurant faster than a bat out of hell.

As if I had told him so myself, he grinned and called Tara over. "Actually, do you think we could take this to go?"

"Sure thing," she replied and went to go get boxes.

He turned to me. "I was planning on taking you somewhere else, if that's okay."

_Home would be nice_, I thought. "Absolutely. What did you have in mind?" _Maybe he really will take me home._ I definitely wouldn't be okay with that, and yet I would. Mixed emotions much?

"It's a surprise."

Surprise: just a shorter way of saying "I don't know yet, but you'll figure it out when I do."

Tara gave us boxes for our food, some plastic silverware, and a couple of to-go cups. After that, we were ready to go. To where exactly, I still didn't know yet. We were silent as we got into his car and drove to the secret place. It was dark as it was before, if not more so. I couldn't see anything that wasn't lit by a street lamp. Everyone was out partying or dating or spending their night the way that they usually do. For the first time ever, I was doing what everyone else was doing. Conformity wasn't exactly my agenda. I was the individualist who remained alone on the weekends if I could help it. Tara was the one who got dates. I was the loner… but not anymore.

Cal pulled over to the side of the road and got out with the plastic bag with our food in it and the cups, one in each hand. I followed his lead, distracted by my surroundings. It was kind of creepy out after dark, eerie really. We walked through a cluster of trees, past an old watermill to a small bridge that sat over the top of a trickling waterfall. There was a railing that ran along both sides of the bridge but there was plenty of space for a person to slip their legs through the bottom and that's exactly what we did. We let our legs dangle over the side of the wooden bridge and rested our arms on the plank that ran through the middle to prevent people from falling off into the large stream below.

As we sat there we ate and talked more comfortably about ourselves. Somehow we ended up talking about where we would see ourselves in twenty years. I had always dreamed that I would become a writer even though I have no talent in that area. It just sounded like the right solitary job for me. It was either that or working in a cubicle, answering phone calls from people who needed my assistance for something they could easily do themselves if they stopped to think for a minute. Maybe a suicide hotline—although more people would probably feel like killing themselves after speaking to me.

At that last part, Cal laughed and quickly disagreed. He thought I was a very entertaining person and they would stay on the line just to talk to me for hours and hours. Then he explained that he also wanted to write and it was destiny that we had met. I think that last part was meant to be a joke but he sounded completely serious.

He had me home promptly at ten o'clock. We stood awkwardly on the front porch waiting for me to figure out where I had put my keys and get the door open. I finally found them in the inside pocket of my jacket and quickly put the correct key in the lock. I turned around to say goodbye half-expecting him to have disappeared as he had before. Unlike last time, he was still standing there with a smile on his handsome face.

I still felt a little funny, not knowing what I should do or what was appropriate dating etiquette. "Uh, would you like to come in?"

"Sure, that would be great."

I stood back a little bit to let him in. His first step was hesitant and his grin got bigger when he came in all the way. Weird, right?

"I'll give you a little tour of the house." I looked around to make sure my aunt wasn't around or at least downstairs. I took him around the downstairs and sat down on the couch when we were done. I made sure there was a little space in between us because if Aunt Fauna saw us any closer than half a foot apart she'd start freaking out. Oddly enough, Ben and I could sit as close together as we wanted and she didn't have a problem with it. I think it was the fact that she didn't know him yet that made her hesitant to trust him. We'd have to change that.

Cal and I talked more about our future and our past. We stayed as far away from parent-related talk as we could; we didn't want to disturb either of our currently peaceful states. After another couple of hours, Fauna came down from her room to say goodbye. Before he could leave, I asked if Cal and his uncle could come over for dinner tomorrow night. This was the opportunity I needed to get him in her good graces. She agreed and practically kicked him out the front door.

As soon as he was gone, I went upstairs to my room to spend the rest of my night alone. I texted Tara to let her know how I thought it went then I gave her all the details when she thought my personal opinion wasn't good enough. She concluded that it went well, for my first date. She was a little disappointed that neither of us "made a move" but she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Her prediction was that he would kiss me on our next date. We were going to have to talk more about it when she came over tomorrow morning. I really wanted this dating thing to work out. I needed to stop being alone.


	2. The Other One

Chapter Two:

The Other One

* * *

I woke up from being heavily shaken out of unconsciousness, everybody's number one way for waking up.

"Evie! Get up, now! We need to talk!"

I rolled over and stared at her. "You better be either bleeding to death or dying because it's only nine o'clock on a Sunday and I don't wake up for less than a major injury."

"Just get up. We need to talk about Cal before I burst! I still can't believe he didn't kiss you, which is respectable but only since it was your first date ever." She sat down next to me on the bed and began to speak with her hands. Sometimes, she could really be a major drama queen.

"Yeah, well, it's not that big of a deal. Like you said, there's always tonight and—if not then—the night after. There's no rush. I'm not even sure he's ever going to ask me out again after the interrogation that he's going to get from my Aunt Fauna."

"Yes, but if he does stay to enjoy the ride then you know that it's meant to be."

There was a knock at my bedroom door. "Can I come in?" Ben was standing there in his pajama pants and a blue bathrobe covered in little yellow duckies. His strawberry blonde hair was all messy, some of it blocking his bluer than blue eyes.

I chuckled. "What are you wearing?"

"Tara said it was an emergency. Are you okay?"

"Ugh." I put my blankets over my head and closed my eyes, hoping they would both disappear.

"Evie has another date with Cal Moretti tonight and we need to go over a strategy. You need to help this time since my advice didn't seem to do any good last night." Tara filled him in on why she was annoying the heck out of me.

His voice got closer. "Did she ask for your help this time?"

"Does she need to?" Tara countered. "I can be very helpful when people actually listen."

"Yes, but they don't listen so what's the point?" He teased.

"Ouch! Now you have to either take that back and help her out or you can just leave and never speak to me again." I could only imagine the pondering look he had on his face. "Sit down, Benjamin!" She snapped.

He whistled. "Someone's riding the crazy train."

"You have no idea." I mumbled.

He laughed. "You gonna come out of there or do I have to talk to your Winnie the Pooh blanket?"

I sighed and uncovered my face. "If I listen to what you two have to say, can I go back to sleep?" I was hoping for a yes, but was met with the opposite answer.

"No," Tara replied. "We're not leaving until the moment he steps into the house and maybe even a little after that."

"Whoa, now. I've got plans with Molly"—his girlfriend—"this afternoon." Ben commented.

"Then we better think quickly, shouldn't we." That wasn't really a question.

Right away, I knew I was in for a world of torment from the wonder twins. Ben was actually pretty good at giving advice but neither of them was prepared for this. They never had to give me advice about guys before. This was definitely a new experience for all of us. "Alright, lay it on me." I said, with a hint of regret I might add.

Tara turned to Ben. "You first, so you can leave." She was still mad that he wasn't staying as long as she wanted him to.

His brow furrowed before he spoke. "I know that when Molly and I first started dating, it was sort of new for both of us. The more stuff we did together, the closer we got. All you need is to give both of you a chance to make this thing happen and you'll get there."

"How did you ask her to be your girlfriend?" I needed to be prepared, just in case he ever asked me.

He paused. "It's not romantic or anything, like you're probably thinking. I just walked up to her one day and asked her out. After a couple of dates, I asked her if she wanted to make our relationship official and when she said yes I gave her a bracelet. Everyone does it differently, though." He was right. It wasn't romantic but it was still sort of cute.

I took a deep breath and let it out in one large gust. "That's helpful."

"Never said it would be. Only trying to give it a shot. Let him make his move and be open with him and it will all be good." He got up and bent down to kiss my forehead like the big brother he has always been for me. "I really should get going but good luck with your date. I'm sure it'll be great."

"Thanks, Ben. See you tomorrow."

"Later." He left, closing the door behind him.

Tara crossed her legs beside me. "So, do you think he's going to ask you out tonight?"

"I don't know. I feel like I know a lot about him but there is still a lot I want to know before anything else happens."

"Like what?"

_ Look at her asking all the hard questions. _"I don't know. I wish he would tell me more about himself in general. Knowing that his favorite color is green and he's a Virgo isn't really a lot to go on."

"He told you he likes to write. That's something."

"Yeah, but not anything useful. If we kiss, I want to know who I'm kissing and not have him ending up to be some psycho creeper boy with a hidden agenda."

She stared at me like I was crazy. "Do you have experience with psycho creeper boys with hidden agendas?" She asked, though she probably thought I was the psycho.

"No. I'm only saying that it's a possibility that could be eliminated with more talking and information."

"Well, you guys will be talking at dinner when your aunt asks him a billion questions."

I hadn't really thought about that. "Yeah, I guess."

"You guess that we have to find you something hot for tonight."

After going through my entire wardrobe at least a dozen times, we ended up going to her house so she could go through her clothes. Apparently, I didn't have anything that screamed "date me because I'm a hoe" and her closet was stalked full of it. Her walk in closet is arranged in five sections: shoes, accessories, cute outfits, hot outfits and outfits you wear when you're desperate. She pulled a slim black dress out of the "desperate" section and held it up to me. Then she had me put it on and twirl around in it until I was dizzy. Having won her approval, she found shoes and accessories to create the perfect ensemble for yet another date. I had a feeling that if Cal and I were going to continue to see each other that I would be in her closet picking out clothes more than anything else.

Twilight approached and Aunt Fauna and I were in the kitchen putting the last touches on our famous "lazy chicken" recipe. It consists of chicken marinated in noodle seasonings served with a side of plain noodles mixed with broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. It's actually pretty good. Anyway, as we were putting everything into their serving dishes, the doorbell rang.

I wanted to warn the poor guys before they came in so I went and answered the door.

Cal and the man I assumed to be his uncle stood before me in their Sunday best. "Hey, Evie. I would like you to meet my Uncle Louis. Uncle Louis, this is Evie Richards."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Moretti." I greeted as we shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Evie. Please, feel free to call me Uncle Louis or just Louis. Mr. Moretti makes me sound too old." He nudged his nephew.

"Ah, yes." He brought a box from behind his back and presented it to me. "We brought your aunt a gift."

I smiled. "I'm sure she'll love it. Please, come in." I gestured my arm towards the general direction of Aunt Fauna.

When Louis came in and walked past me into the living room, Cal followed him in and gave me a hug, smiling as he released me. "It's good to see you again."

"I agree." He chuckled and I realized I had said something wrong. "I mean, I'm also glad to see you again."

He shifted the box to one arm and took my hand. "I know what you meant. It's just funny to hear your way of speaking." He stepped beside me all the way to the dining room where Louis was helping Aunt Fauna set the table.

The two of them were exchanging friendly banter all through dinner. Mostly they talked about the teenagers but they mixed in a little bit of their own personal dramas. Cal commented on the simplicity of the meal and complemented on how delicious he thought it was. Louis quickly agreed and grinned, slurping down some noodles. We laughed as part of it splashed him in the face and stuck to his nose. We were actually laughing a lot that night. Then we reached the sibling-deaths part and it tied up the end of all humoring conversation. Cal had told his uncle some of what he had learned about my parents but only the basics. He wanted more, or at least thought that this was somehow the best way to close the discussion. Aunt Fauna had no better way to keep it going than to return the question. There was crying. There was a bit of teary-eyed grinning as memories of the good times were shared. Overall, it ended in a disaster.

I wanted to die when the night was over and they decided to leave. It meant that I had no way to make it up to them. I didn't want Louis to feel that he had done anything wrong because he technically hadn't. Worst of all, I thought that this would end my chances to be with Cal. We couldn't be compatible because he no longer liked me and I couldn't bear to see his face without being disappointed in myself.

Monday at school I was determined to right the wrongs. As soon as I saw his face, I deflated like a pathetic little five-cent balloon. At lunch Tara nearly beat my insides out with a, "go get him now" speech. After school, I walked home to drop off my stuff before I got in my car and drove to the outskirts of town. The weird thing about a small town is everyone knows where everyone else lives.

The place was huge! They didn't call it a mansion for nothing. It had to be at least a century old, refurbished to have a slightly new look while still retaining the eighteenth century architecture. Moretti sounded like the last name of one of the founding fathers of Wolfcrest. That would explain the expensive house and the age of it all. It was colossal and somewhat bleak, as if the building itself was warding off unwanted visitors.

I pulled up the driveway to the sturdy front door. Before I could even knock, the door opened.

"Hello."

His smile was so intoxicating. "Hi."

He stared at me as if he expected me to talk. "And what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Oh, right. I came to apologize for last night. My aunt is really weird and I don't think—"

While I was racing through my words in a nervous babble, he looked suspiciously around the front yard and opened the door a little wider. "No, Uncle Louis and I had a great time last night. Won't you come in?"

I was a little confused by the gesture but I stepped in anyway.

He closed the door with swiftness behind me. Then he grabbed my arms gently from behind and pushed me to a room. "This is the living room. Why don't you have a seat while I go get something? I'll only be a moment." Before I could even sit down, he raced out of the room in a blur.

I figured I must have been really tired and was beginning to see things in fast forward. It wouldn't be hard to believe. If I was starting to talk fast out of nervousness, I could easily be doing the same with everything I see.

A second or two later, he was back. In his hand was a tiny wooden box. He sat beside me and passed the box to me. "I really wanted to give you something."

I opened it up. Inside it was a locket on a silver chain in the shape of an oval. On the front, a big, cursive "M" was etched into the metal.

"It's been an heirloom in my family for years. The Moretti men would give it to the woman that they loved more than anything else in the world; and I'd like you to wear it."

_Love_, I thought. I was only really going for "like" or even "seriously like." Could he really love me after knowing me for only a few days? You always hear about love at first sight but I didn't think it was real. I suppose this could have happened to me, too. Having never experienced love, I wouldn't know it apart from any other feeling.

"I would love to."

He took the locket out of its box and put it on for me. Even after he was done adjusting the clasp, he left his hand on my neck, once again searching through my soul with a glance. A moment passed and no one had moved. Then it happened. He leaned in and kissed me right on the lips! If I had known all it took to get to this stage of the game was to come straight to his house, I would have done it on Day One.

When we split apart, I felt like I couldn't breathe and yet my lungs were working great somehow. Both of us were smiling which led me to believe that we both liked the kiss. _What usually happens now?_

"I meant to ask you earlier, would you like to hang out with me and my friends at the grille? We're meeting around seven o'clock." More time together would be fantastic but I wasn't sure if I could put him through another "meet the family" dinner. Tara and Ben were the closest thing I had to family, after Aunt Fauna of course.

"That would be great."

"Great." I stood up and was about to walk to the door when he stopped me.

His hand was at my arm again. "Wait," He ordered, hesitating afterwards to stare at the décor. "Is it okay if I come over to your house now and go with you from there? The roads are supposed to be getting pretty rough out there and I wouldn't feel right about you going alone."

_Aw, how sweet. He cares._ "Sure, if you want. My aunt is home but she's been pretty chill about you visiting since last night." I removed his hand from my arm and took it in mine.

Hanging out at my house for a couple hours wasn't so bad after the kiss. We did our homework, occasionally helping each other out on questions that didn't make any sense. Actually, he did most of the helping. I knew little of anything he didn't learn at his old school. Boredom struck when we were finished an hour later. We ended up turning on the television. My aunt must have been watching it this morning because the news was on.

"Sheriff McMillan and deputies came across a car that ran into a tree off Route 91 just outside of Wolfcrest. So far, officials say that the couple that was found in the car had suffered serious injuries after losing control of their vehicle and running it off the road. The car then exploded and consumed the bodies found in the front seat. Their identities remain unknown but the authorities promise that all will be discovered in due time. All we can do now is sit and wait."

I wanted to cry. Too many accidents happen. Too many people die. As simple tears came to my eyes, forbidden to overflow, Cal embraced me with my head on his shoulder. When I apologized, he told me there was no reason for anyone to say they're sorry for crying. It was a human emotion that should be embraced, especially for someone who had lost as many people as we have. Our circumstances were so similar that it was hard to ignore. We needed each other. We were drawn to each other in ways that only destiny could design.

I cleared away my emotions as soon as I could finally stand it and sat up straight. As I looked down, I saw a burn where my necklace had touched his neck. "Oh my goodness. What happened?"

"It's nothing, see?"

I looked at where the burn had been; where it was no longer. "But I saw it. It doesn't make any—"

He stood up and interrupted me. "We should go. We're going to be late." He packed his books into his backpack and held out his hand.

"Are you okay?" It felt like something was wrong. I took his hand and he pulled me up from my perch then fled for the door.

Conversation was impossible when we got into the car. Nothing was said but only because there didn't seem to be anything to say. He loosened up when we got to the Grille. Cal clasped his hand to mine and led us through the front door with a smile on his face. He was going to tell me what was wrong, whether he liked it or not.

"Evie! Cal! Nice to see you!" Tara squealed from the table her and Ben were sitting at.

"If I knew this was a couples' thing, I would have brought Molly." Ben mumbled to her.

She elbowed him in the side. "Don't be rude." Then in a louder voice, she asked, "How are you guys doing?"

"Good…" I think she was just happy that Cal and I were still getting along after that terrible dinner with my aunt—she agreed that it had gone poorly. Why she was acting so weird at this moment was another thing entirely. I turned to my boyfriend—if you could even call him that—waiting for his answer.

"Splendid."

Ben chuckled. "You must not have turned on the news lately. A couple of idiots lost control of their SUV and rammed themselves into a redwood. Now, that takes skill.

I shook my head, shaking away any emotions that might have been glooming over me. "Actually, we saw it not too long ago."

Cal put his arm around me and kissed my cheek. Before he pulled away, he whispered in my ear saying, "It's going to be okay." I was right. We needed each other for comfort, even if we weren't going to be anything more than friends.

Tara couldn't help herself as she beamed at the two of us. It was almost as vibrant as the day she met her boyfriend Charlie Wright officially. Naturally, they'd known each other as names and simple faces but when they actually started talking, she was absolutely glowing.

The four of us ordered from our very nice waiter, a kid by the name of Lenny Bacardi from my Calculus class. We all seemed to be in a chicken and curly fries kind of a mood. Curly fries must have been created by God because they are simply heavenly. Somewhere during Ben and Cal's never-ending debate about who was going to win the Super Bowl this year, I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to text my aunt. I patted my pockets down for my phone but came up short.

"I'll be right back. I just have to get my phone out of the car."

"Don't be too long." Tara sang as I got down from the tall booth seat.

Rolling my eyes, I trudged out of the door and made my way to my car. By now, the moon had surpassed the brightness of the sun and the streets were lit only by the occasional street lamp. As I walked over to the driver's side, the lights above me flickered. After a couple of seconds, they merely stopped working all together. Fog crept eerily down the road toward my car and I could swear I heard the pestering sound of a crow not too far off. The adrenaline was kicking in and I hurried to unlock my car and grab my phone from the dashboard. When I spun around, I nearly jolted out of control. Right before my eyes was a man with dark brown, almost black hair. It would be a lie if I said I didn't find him attractive but the fact was he was seriously creeping me out.

"Are you with Cal?" He asked, straight and to the point.

"Who wants to know?"

"Good, I found the right one. You understand; it would be embarrassing if I went through all this trouble and you weren't her."

"Her?"

He nodded. "Cal's little girlfriend. I already heard all about you, of course."

"Who are you?" I inquired again.

"I'm almost a little offended. Almost. Cal and I haven't really spoken a lot these past few years but he's still my baby brother." A devilish grin came across his lips. He held out his hand. "I'm Damon."

"Damon? Cal has a brother?"

He shook his head. "He really never spoke about me at all? Now I'm heartbroken." He stated cynically.

I shook his outstretched hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, then. If you'd like, we were eating and I'm sure you'd be welcome to our small party." I headed for the door.

Damon stopped me with his arm, placing his hand against my car to block my way. "I'd rather stay out here and talk for a while, if you don't mind. There are so many things that he won't tell me. Maybe you could shed some light on a few of them." He leaned in until his face was merely inches away from mine. "Right now, though, I think you want to kiss me." His pupils seemed to do a funny dance as I stared into them, half-filled with fear and adrenaline. Then he continued to lean in until our lips almost met.

Luckily, I was able to duck out of the way and run inside… well, to the door at least. Somehow he managed to get from the car to the front door of the restaurant in less than a second. I had to do a double-take. "How did you—?"

"Not important." He looked down at my necklace and saw the symbol that was engraved on it. "I see he's already managed to give you a gift. Finally! I thought he was going to be a mopey wreck forever." Then he peered over my shoulder. "Well, hello, brother."

"Damon. What are you doing here?" Cal questioned without expressing any emotion whatsoever.

"I'm trying to have a conversation with your girlfriend which you are rudely interrupting." Damon replied, his smile still upon his face.

Cal took my hand. "Why don't you go inside? I need to have a chat with my brother."

I wasn't sure what was really going on between Cal and Mr. Light-blue-eyes and I wanted to stay to see what I was missing. However, I knew he was serious when he told me to go inside. This was something else he was going to have to explain to me or else.

I went inside and sat down across from Tara and Ben. One had a worried look on her face. The other was zoning out and probably never realized I was there until the first said something.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

"Yup," I replied halfheartedly. "Everything is just dandy." I popped a curly fry in my mouth and stayed silent.

It seemed like forever before Cal came back inside, without Damon. He parked himself by me and continued to eat his meal as if nothing had happened. Agitation came off him in waves but never showed in his expression. He was good at hiding his emotions from others. Not me.

When everyone was done, we got our coats, Ben paid, and we stepped outside. We said our goodbyes with the knowledge that we would see each other in school the next day and left in our respective vehicles. Since he didn't have his own car, I had to drive Cal all the way back to his house. It was time to get some answers whether he liked the idea or not.

"Tell me about your brother." I didn't ask. This was an order.

"There's nothing to tell. Our stories are the same. He just chose to act on our experiences differently."

"I'm gonna need a little bit more than that." I clarified.

I could see him stare at my face from the corner of my eye. Silence, and then came my answers. "It started out when we were younger. There was this girl Damon had fallen in love with. It was right after our parents had died and he craved love as a necessity he had to have injected immediately before he shriveled away. Unfortunately, the girl did not love him in return. Instead she had fallen in love with me. Again, the affections were not met. After months had passed, she decided to take her own life because it was the only way she could see that would capture my attention. Damon was devastated and he couldn't believe what I had done. He promised me that night that he would make my life a living hell. He's been trying to make me miserable ever since." He appeared to be severely tortured by all of this. Was it seriously that bad?

"But you're brothers—"

"I know," he interjected. "But that doesn't mean anything to him anymore."

We continued along the winding roads until we reached his house. I unlocked the doors to let him out. "I'm glad you came tonight." I meant it, even if he wouldn't tell me everything right away. The fact that he told me anything at all meant that there was trust building between us and that was a step in the right direction.

"Thank you for inviting me. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"See you later."

He closed the door and jogged inside out of the rain that began to fall hard.

All the way to my house, I felt a strange feeling, similar to the one I had felt before I had seen Damon. I half expected him to be standing on the side of the road along the way or on the sidewalk as I got back into town towards my house. It never happened but the feeling remained.

After I pulled into the driveway and locked the doors, I opened the front door and quickly got inside. As I rotated to close the door, there he was again out of nowhere.

"How do you know where I live?" I inquired with frustration.

"Cal told me. He wanted me to check up on you. I wasn't supposed to tell you though." Damon shrugged. "It's probably better if you know, anyway."

Believing anything he said was hard. No matter how much he seemed to repel me, he was still Cal's brother and a place for him would always have to be there in my loving heart, no matter how small. "Would you like to come in for a moment or two?"

A grin fell upon his lips once more. "I would love to, Evie." Like Cal had before, Damon carefully took a step forward before he entered the house. Perhaps it was a family thing.

He followed me into the kitchen and sat down at the island counter, perfectly at ease.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?" I opened my refrigerator to scavenge around. "I've got leftover pizza, chicken. Or I could make you something."

"You cook?"

I huffed. "You sound surprised."

He shook his head and pursed his lips. "Not at all; if anything, you seem to know your way around." I gave him a confused look and he clarified. "The kitchen, I mean."

"Right… So, do you need something?" My patience was wearing thin thanks to this guy. Even if he was attractive in any way, shape or form, he was still agitating the heck out of me.

"Well, giving my apologies for trying to kiss you. People tell me I'm kind of impulsive sometimes but that's no excuse for how I acted. On the other hand, giving my side of the story while I'm here wouldn't hurt. I figure you've talked to my brother about me." A glance at my face assured him that I had. "Just as I thought. You see, my brother has been known for lying back in the day to impress girls. From the looks of it, he probably told you that I'm an evil beyond a doubt, revenge-seeking psychopath with a hidden agenda. Maybe he added something about Guinevere."

"From the First Knight?" That was one of my favorite movies. It was the only movie I had ever seen where Richard Gere actually had a different hair color besides gray.

He glared at me. "Really? A movie reference?"

I shrugged. "It's the first thing that came to my mind. Now, who's Guinevere?"

Damon patted on the seat next to him but I preferred the seat on the other side of the table, as far away from him as was polite in this situation. "She was the girl I loved while my parents were alive. But it was a lot more complicated than brother rivalry. Guinn was killed." For an "evil" person, he looked dreadful; heartbroken.

"I'm sorry. It must have been really hard for you." I walked over to his side and patted his arm. Maybe all he needed was a gesture that showed him he was cared about.

"It's not something you can feel any other way about. We parted so suddenly. It was hard for me to bear." He put his hand over mine. "Thank you. It means a lot to hear such kindness from a stranger." Suddenly, he stood from his stool. "I should probably be going. I wouldn't want my brother to have an aneurism on my behalf."

"Do you need anything before you go?"

He reached the door and pivoted on his heels. "No, but thank you for everything, Evie. Cal will be pleased to know that you made it home safely." Poof—a second later he had disappeared before I had time to blink.

As I went up to my room for the night, I had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something seemed off about Damon Moretti. While he was supposed to be this fiend of the Moretti family, there appeared to be more to him than that. He was without a doubt the strangest of them all—including their Uncle Louis who thought bringing up dead relatives in friendly conversation was a wise decision. No, Damon was different. A voice in the back of my mind warned me that something wasn't as it seemed. There was a performance that masked a secret I was not allowed to understand. What it was about, I was unsure of.

Cal was a whole different story. His behavior around his older brother was simply odd. I have heard of sibling rivalry but what they were doing was way off the charts. My boyfriend was acting cruel towards a man who was hurt emotionally. Damon was threatening his own brother's welfare over the loss of a close one. But who to believe? I wasn't a part of any of this so my information intake was bias and therefore inaccurate. Someone had to be telling the truth.

Out of options, I went next door to my Aunt's room. I knocked on the door and came in.

Aunt Fauna was sitting up against the headboard reading the latest supernatural chick book. I never understood why shed like that stuff. A guy who creeps on you while you're sleeping isn't exactly a match made in heaven.

"Can I talk to you?" I asked as I crossed the room to her side.

She peered up at me over her stylish reading glasses and pulled the covers away so I could sit beside her. "What is it, Evie? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah…"

She glared down at me in disbelief.

"Well, I could be better."

With her arm wrapped around me, she stroked my hair in comfort. "Tell me what's wrong, snow pea."

Fauna Richards wasn't my first choice but she was good at pretending she knew what she was talking about. "I don't understand what's happening to me. First the new kid in school asks me out and we have so much in common. Now, he's shutting me out."

She continued to stroke my hair as she spoke calmly and soothingly to me. "Nothing is wrong with you. If anything, there's something wrong with him. Why don't you give him a little space? When he realizes what he's missing, he'll come find you." This time, she was right. I wasn't going to get anywhere standing on his toes. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I looked up with a smile. "Thanks, Aunt Fauna. Is it alright if I sleep here tonight?"

Another glare. "You're lucky you're cute, kiddo." With that, she turned off the light and rested her head on her pillow. "Goodnight, snow pea."

"Goodnight." I snuggled into the blankets and fell fast asleep.

In the middle of the night, I heard a noise downstairs. Filled with the courage I needed, I tiptoed down the stairs into my living room.

Cal was pacing back and forth, rubbing the back of his neck. He heard me come in and spun around. "I came to apologize. I'm so sorry how I've been treating you. Let me make it up to you." He crossed the room to me and pressed his eager lips to mine. We made it to the couch in time for us to fall into one another's arms.

He was lying right on top of me and I couldn't believe what was happening. I turned to make sure my aunt wasn't awake. "Wait, what if she hears us?" I asked as he was at my neck. I looked back and I was shocked at what I saw.

Damon was the one on top of me, grinning his satanic grin. "She's fast asleep." He returned to kissing my lips, my jaw, and my neck. "She won't hear us."

I awoke two or three hours later, hyperventilating in fright. Had that really just happened? I looked around my aunt's room and—even though I could feel the dampness on my lips—decided no. It was all a dream.


	3. My Visitor

Chapter Three:

My Visitor

* * *

As I sat in English 201, my head felt like it was going to explode. It's not true what they say about college. The kids here don't mature after they start living on their own, they just get stupider.

Exhibit A: this girl that was sitting two rows in front of me was going on and on about her boyfriend cheating on her. "I can't believe he would sleep with Colleen! That slut couldn't do half the things I can! He's so shallow! How could he do this to me?" These were the average girl's problems around here.

_Please_, I thought to myself. _She doesn't even know what problems are._

I remember it all as if it was yesterday. A week had passed since I had the dream. Cal and I hadn't spoken since that night and, thankfully, Damon hadn't spoken to me either. No matter what was going on, I had to be brave and go to class like nothing had ever occurred.

I walked into French, my first class of the day and said hello to my teacher as I went to my seat. Being polite to the teacher was always a good thing to do, even for people who never considered themselves to be teacher's pets.

Since Mr. Brady's disappearance, we had a substitute teacher named Mr. Delancey. He wasn't too bad. In fact, I think he knew the language better than Mr. Brady did. He was pretty young for his age. Sometimes he joked around and said that he was a lot older than he really was. Altogether, he was kind of a cool teacher. After only a week of getting to know us, he knew all of our names already. He had even won the hearts of some of the girls in my class, the kind that often fantasize about older men.

"Alright, guys. Today's your test on future-tense conjugations. When you're done, simply turn over your papers and put your pencils down. I'll come around and pick them up after class." He passed around our tests and had us begin.

This was a test I had not studied for, as was the situation for most tests. Studying was like setting time aside to procrastinate doing homework. Nothing ever got done. I ended up having to fill in random answers for almost all of the questions up until the bell rang and the test was over.

Cal immediately got up from his seat and left the room with all of the other students.

As I slowly rose from mine, Mr. Delancey came up to me.

"Would you mind staying after class for a few minutes?" His tone was severe.

"Sure." I waited silently by his desk while he collected the tests and the last couple of kids left the room.

He closed the door behind them and set the tests down on his desk on top of a briefcase that appeared to have come out of a time machine from 1955. When he looked up, his eyes were bloodshot and veins began to rise against his skin. His mouth was open, exposing two white fangs along with two rows of perfect, white teeth.

I tried to scream but he zipped over to me and covered my mouth.

The scary second face disappeared. "Sit." He ordered, his pupils dilating and shrinking back to normal as he did so.

I sat down in his chair as I was told and tried not to cry or show any more weakness. Whatever this monster was, he wasn't going to get anything out of me.

"I have been teaching this damn class of miscreants for a week and I'm still trying to calculate if it was worth taking the job just to see you every day. I mean, have you seen your class? Not exactly a talented bunch. That girl who sits over there talks non-stop about sex and her boyfriend. Believe me; I have been around the block a few times but seriously. That girl should have a little respect for herself, at least enough to shut her giant trap."

"Why—?"

"Shut it, gorgeous." He paused. "Where was I? Oh, yes. It's been a blast holding you in front of my face like a dog and its bone but I think playtime's over for now." After his horrifying face reappeared, he opened his mouth wide and tried to latch onto my neck…

But Cal wouldn't let him. He had the monster by the throat in the blink of an eye. I didn't even see him come in. One minute I thought I was going to die and the next he was just there, saving me.

Mr. Delancey wasn't without his own tricks. He slipped out of Cal's hold and disappeared out of the room.

Disappointed, Cal turned to me. "Are you okay?"

My mouth was open extensively. "What the heck was that—that monster he turned into?" I knew he wasn't good when it came to explaining things but this situation changed things. I deserved the right to know what had almost killed me.

"That was a vampire." He seemed a little reluctant to fill me in.

"A what?"

"A vampire." He repeated. Then he stepped closer to me and helped me to my feet. "You're coming with me. It's not safe here."

Cal took my hand and guided me through the halls and the front entrance, all the way to his car in the student parking lot. Even after I got in the car, he didn't take his eyes off me. He started the engine and raced through the streets that led out of town, to his mansion in the middle of nowhere. Again, he clasped his hand to mine and led me inside, slamming and locking the door behind us.

"Um, what's that going to do against a vampire?"

"Vampires can't get into a human's house unless he's invited by the owner or someone who lives there." He took me up a few flights of stairs to a room. Then he took off my backpack for me and set it on an expensive-looking chair. "Until I find him, you're staying here. I can't let anything happen to you. I'll go to your house and pick you up some clothes. I'm not sure how long it will take to track him down."

"What about my aunt?"

"I'll make sure she's safe while I'm there. Call her and tell her that you're at a friend's house. Make sure your friend knows so she can cover for you." He kissed my forehead and headed for the door. "I'll be right back. Don't go too close to any of the doors or windows and please do not, under any circumstances, leave this room. Bathroom's over there if you need it." With that, he was gone.

Vampires? I never saw that one coming. After all of this supernatural romance stuff that everyone goes on about, parts of it end up to be true. There was no way on earth that I could have seen that one coming. I figured Mr. Delancey had wanted me to stay after because he realized how awful I was doing in his class or maybe that I couldn't take my eyes off the kid with the perfect smile and the amazing, leafy green eyes. Never had I imagined that he would try to eat me alive. I was the one who didn't believe in all of this craziness. This should have happened to somebody who considered this stuff to be real. But, for some reason, it happened to me and I was going to have to deal with it. At least, for now.

Even though my life was in danger, boredom came swiftly to me. I couldn't last one more minute cooped up in that room, so I decided to explore. The house seemed even bigger on the inside than it did on the outside. The hallway on the top floor where Cal's room was could have been endless for all I knew. There were so many rooms, I couldn't believe that all of them truly had a purpose other than to give the owner the opportunity to say that they had a certain number of rooms in their house. They had four bedrooms that I could count on that floor and two more rooms that were merely there. The next had the two bedrooms and one other room to make way for the two story living room on the first floor. You could even see the first floor from the second floor hallway. The only thing that kept the two separated was an elegant railing about waist high. The entire house had old-fashioned furniture and decorations. While the style was old, everything was as good as new, hardly used or bothered.

As I came downstairs, I saw his Uncle Louis sitting in front of the fireplace with a glass of scotch in his hand. I figured he was having a moment alone and turned around to go back upstairs where I was supposed to stay.

Out of nowhere, Damon appeared in front of me. He was at the top of that flight of stairs peering down at me. "Hello, Evelyn."

"What are you doing here?" While he hadn't seen me in a week, I had seen him and his brother every night in my dreams. This was a meeting I would have preferred to avoid.

"First of all, I live here. It's my last name on the mailbox, not yours. Second of all, I'm here to protect you. Cal doesn't trust you enough to stay put like he told you to, and for good reason it seems. Although I don't know why he said protect. It sounds more like babysitting to me." He stepped back, away from the top of the steps to give me my space.

I came to him and wished I hadn't.

He grabbed my arm and tugged me upstairs to Cal's room where he threw me without force inside. "Now, sit, booboo. Sit." He grinned and shut the door.

Great. I was not only a guest in the Moretti house, but now I was a prisoner—and Damon's prisoner at that.

Once I thought he had gone, I went to the door and opened it only to find that I was wrong. He didn't speak. He merely shut it tight and locked it from the outside. When I reached for the door handle again he knew somehow and scolded me. "Don't even think about it."

I began to bang on the door with as much force as I could. "Let me out, Damon. This isn't fair."

"Life's not fair, beautiful. Get used to it."

I leaned my back against the door and slumped down to the ground. "Can we at least talk? I'm dying of boredom in here." Information about what the heck was trying to kill me would be nice.

With a deep sigh, he unlocked the door. "Get away from the door, genius, so I can come in."

I got up and sat on the bed with my legs folded.

He came in, grabbed a chair that sat by a small round table and pulled it across the room to sit in front of me. "And what would her highness like to talk about?"

"Her highness. Really?" I wasn't in the mood.

"Yeah. Really. Did you just want to fight with me or did you have a topic up for discussion?"

"Tell me about vampires." It felt nice to be the one giving the orders.

His face was solemn and then he said sarcastically, "What do you want to know?"

"Everything. I'm not going to let some unknown creature destroy me through fear."

He slouched in his seat and clenched his hands to the arms of the chair. "Vampires are humans that have died and become immortal. They drink blood. If you ever see one, don't try to run because they are faster, stronger and better than humans. The only ways to kill 'em are to stake them or burn them."

A thought came to mind, courtesy of Aunt Fauna. "Do they sparkle?"

He pressed his fingers to his temples. "No. If vampires step into the sun, they catch on fire. They're not made of fairy dust and body glitter." He almost seemed frustrated with the suggestion.

"What's with the invitation rule? Why do they need permission to come in? And how come Mr. Delancey didn't need one to get into the school?"

"It's a human house only rule," Damon clarified. "It started with the first vampire. God created them to be godlike creatures of the earth but he disobeyed God's law and was forced to abide them, loosing part of his freewill. He could only enter if a human who owned the dwelling invited him in. God considered it as the vampire code of conduct. Is that it?"

I shook my head. "How do you know so much about them? Does Cal know this stuff, too?"

His eyebrow rose, perhaps from amusement. "I'll let Cal explain that one. I don't want to steal all of his fun away." He cocked his head to the right. "Speak of the devil."

Cal walked in and tossed a black duffle bag on the floor by the chair with my backpack on it. "It's nice to see you two are getting along." One glance at the two of us and his statement no longer ran true. He turned to me. "Did you call Tara and your Aunt Fauna?"

"No, I'll do it right now." I pulled out my cellphone and stepped into the bathroom to make the calls. The entire time I was in there, it was quiet in the other room. I couldn't hear a sound.

The first was Tara. She was in lunch when I called. "Hey, Evie."

"Hey, can you do me a huge favor?"

"Yeah, sure. What is it?"

I hadn't thought of what I should tell her. _"Our vampire teacher is trying to kill me and drink my blood. Mind covering for me so I can hide out at my boyfriend's house until him and his brother kill Mr. Delancey?"_ Yeah, that would go over well. "Cal is taking me out for a late night date thing and I don't want my aunt to worry. Can you cover for me?"

"It's about time! I thought I would never get to do this kind of stuff for you. Consider it taken care of." She sounded majorly excited for me.

"Thanks, Tare. I owe you one. I'll see you later." _Whenever I get out of this joint._

"See you then."

I hung up and dialed my aunt.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Aunt Fauna. It's me. Is it okay if I sleep over at Tara's house?"

"Sure." I hadn't been out of the house since last week and she was going to look forward to having the house all to herself. Who knows, she could have had a date while I was gone and I would never know. "What about school tomorrow?"

"Don't worry. I'll be there. Cal's going to drive us there. I'll text you when I arrive."

"Okay. I'll talk to you then."

"Bye." I quickly ended the call to avoid any questions she might have. Then I went back into the other room and returned to my spot on the bed. Neither of the brothers had moved. The three of us ended up having a five minute staring contest before someone budged.

Damon shot up out of his chair. "I'm gonna go vampire hunting. You kids behave yourselves." He strutted out of the room and evaporated down the hall.

Nervous, Cal replaced his brother and plopped down on the seat in front of me. "What would you like to do? I've got books, movies, music, paper—"

"I should probably get a leg up on my homework."

"Oh," he got up and handed me my bag.

I took my books out to start and peered up at him. He was zoned out, focusing on a bookshelf on my right. "Aren't you gonna do yours?"

He shook his head and turned his attention to me. "No, I already finished mine."

"Even the history essay?"

"Yup." He sat beside me and glanced down at my work. "Need any help?"

Our eyes met and a tear came to my eye. "I'm afraid." I admitted, disappointed in myself for being so fragile lately.

His arms enveloped me and we fell backwards. "Don't worry. Damon and I will find him and this will all be over."

"What if I don't make it?"

"Don't say that. I won't allow anything bad to happen to you, I promise."

I looked up to him with judgmental eyes. "How can you promise that?" He was only human. According to Damon, vampires were better than us. In seconds, Delancey could come in and snap Cal's neck before he had time to blink. Even if I were to die, it wouldn't hold a candle to the mutilation that would befall the Moretti brothers.

He held me close and whispered, "We'll be safe. I need you to trust me."

A minute gave me enough time to nod and give him a half-grin. "Okay."

For the rest of the school hours, we did my homework and studied to improve my terrible French skills. We figured it would be good to prepare me for the real French test while simultaneously taking my mind off the fact that a psycho vampire was after me. After that, our evening was filled with distraction after distraction; movies, dinner, reading, as long as it made me think of other things than my current problem. No matter what we did, I remained in his room without any exceptions. I was not allowed to leave. It worked, for the most part. Then around ten o'clock, Damon came back to report.

He burst down the door and entered without knocking or an invitation. "I found him on the south-east corner of town hanging out in an abandoned building. No one was with him at all so I think it's safe to assume that Delancey doesn't have any friends."

"You couldn't have told me this alone?" Steam was swirling off Cal's forehead. He had worked so hard for me to forget about Delancey that it made him furious that his brother would blurt out this information in front of me.

"She has a right to know, aye Evie?" The cruel timbre of his voice made it clear that he was only doing this to piss him off.

"Thank you, Damon. I'll talk to you about this later. We can afford to wait until tomorrow night."

Damon put his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, smart ass. Calm down before you have an aneurism." With what I'm guessing was meant to be an alluring smile, Damon was gone.

Cal sat up from his lounging position and glanced at his watch. "You're probably getting tired. I'll show you to your room if you'd like."

I didn't want to leave his side. For a reason I couldn't explain, I felt safer with Cal by my side. He had a certain strength about him that could trump any old vampire's tenfold. "Is it okay if I stay here with you? I don't want to be alone."

He smiled and nodded. "Of course."

I changed into my pajamas—light blue plaid pants and a _Crybaby_ t-shirt—and brushed away at my hair and my teeth. This may not have been a date or anything of the sort, I still wanted to look presentable for him. We were only just beginning and I wanted to pretend that it mattered how I looked because it would mean I looked forward to the future; our future. Even though he swore we would stay alive, I wasn't so sure.

I came back out and he had changed into his pajamas as well—a bare chest and a pair of flannel pajama pants. I felt a little shallow as I examined his muscles and his amazing fitness. He wasn't Arnold Schwarzenegger but it was obvious that he occasionally went to the gym.

He noticed me looking and held back a grin. "Does this bother you?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No," was the only thing I could say without hyperventilating from the feelings that were stirring inside me.

Once he turned off the light, Cal slipped into bed and beckoned to me to do the same. It was a little bit nerve-racking even though I knew I needed him to be there. He was just intimidatingly handsome and I was the girl no one spoke to or cared to speak to. After all that had passed, I still believed that his beauty trumped my own and therefore we could not be together.

When I got under the covers, I immediately placed my head on the pillow and closed my eyes. As they were shut, I felt his hands gently surround mine. To my surprise, I was actually tired and I swayed in and out of consciousness. At one point I could have sworn that he had left but when I opened my eyes to double check, he was lying their fast asleep. I finally drifted off into a deeper sleep around 4 in the morning.

The clock read 2:34 pm when I got my lazy butt out of bed. The sun had risen and already began to fall. Needless to say, I had my share of sleeping and it must have been peaceful because I felt refreshed and renewed. Cal was writing at his desk facing the window. I got up and crossed the room, resting my arm along the back of the chair. He didn't seem to notice me standing there so I stood silently and allowed him to concentrate on whatever was moving his pencil across the paper. He was motivated to write by an unseen force. It began like this: "From the first day that I laid eyes on her, I knew I had to speak to her, get to know her, and protect her. She knows about the world I am apart of and yet she doesn't run away in fear. She's strong and determined but she can't know—"

"You keep a journal?"

He turned to me and closed the notebook. "Ever since I had something in my life that was worth writing about." A grin came upon his face, easing the tension that spread between his eyebrows. "I'm glad to see you've finally woken up. I thought you were out cold."

I chuckled. "I was. Rough day yesterday, I guess." I looked around the room to examine the bits and pieces that had left my notice. In a corner of the room near the bookcase was a vase. Many side tables were placed around the room beside various pieces of furniture—beds and chairs and the like. On one of them was a set of crystal alcohol bottles that matched the ones in the living room downstairs. They were empty but they still seemed out of place in a teenage boy's room, especially one who was responsible and more of a coffee drinker than anything else. In another corner was an intricate chest. If I had opened it, I would have found something odd inside. "So what's on the itinerary for today, Captain?"

He stood up and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Well, since the day is more than halfway over, we could go play card games." He gave me a quick kiss. "Or we could watch a movie"—kiss—"or play twister"—kiss—"or do this." Cal held me closer and held on to my face as he kissed me again but this time with more force.

Chills ran down my spine as it lasted longer and longer. We moved to his bed, two magnetized pieces of metal drawing closer to a soft, pillowed surface. My eyes were closed as he nibbled at my neck. That's when I saw it. Damon's satanic grin as he repeatedly kissed my lips and my throat. Was I still dreaming?

I pushed him away and backed up.

He slowly regained his composure. "I'm sorry. Did I come on too strongly? We can slow down, if that's what you need."

"No," I shook my head, shaking the image of Damon and me out of my mind. "I'm just feeling a little under the weather." I jumped to my feet and grabbed my bag before walking into the bathroom to change. As soon as the door was shut and locked, I started pounding on my forehead. _Get out, get out! Damon, leave me alone!_ It wasn't even that I liked him that way. He just seemed to creep into my mind like a ghost or a parasite, feeding on my jittery behavior. If he and I were ever alone again, I would give a punch in the jaw so hard that he would bruise in mere seconds.

Time. All I really needed and wanted was time to think by myself. Why were all of these dreams happening to me? I knew above everything else that I believed in that I didn't love or even liked Damon Moretti. He was cruel, harsh and vile. His actions were vulgar as were his words and his countenance.

I hurried into my jeans and black, long-sleeve shirt and went through my routine as if the day for me hadn't started only fifteen minutes ago. Then, reluctantly, I opened the door and returned to Cal's room.

He read my face and knew something was wrong, something that I didn't want to talk about. He took his best guess and it was way off the mark. "I know you're stressing about Delancey. He'll be out of our hair by tonight. Damon and I are going to hunt him down together the moment its dark and we'll never have to see him again."

"You mean you're going to kill him?" I still couldn't associate Mr. Delancey's death with the death of this monster. To me, they were two separate people. They were like twins only one was evil and the other was pure but they always were mistaken for each other.

"Yes, Evie. It's the only way to make sure that he doesn't try to kill you again."

I assented and pecked his cheek. "I trust you." He needed to hear it.

Night fell which meant it was time for the Moretti brothers to set off for their vampire scavenger hunt. Cal went over to the chest in his room that was regal on the outside but horrific on the inside and took out a couple of well-crafted wooden stakes. Then he looked over at me and came to my side. "I want you to stay right here. Don't move a muscle. My uncle will be downstairs if you need anything but your best option safety-wise is to never leave this room. Delancey doesn't know you're here so there isn't much to worry about but it's better to steer clear from those situations ahead of time." Then he kissed me and the two of them took off to go kill my substitute French teacher.

Loneliness fell upon me once again and I found myself overwhelmed with the amount of time I had to sift through my different thoughts and emotions. Damon must have been playing tricks on me and somehow set the dream in motion. Maybe it began because he tried to kiss me so I dreamt that we were doing just that. That was the most plausible explanation. I'm not a psychologist and I don't know a thing about psychology but it seemed to be a reasonable assumption.

With no one else around, it was easy to get all my thoughts out in the open. In no time at all, I was out and about the house looking for something to do. Cal's uncle seemed like a pretty cool guy so I searched the downstairs for him. Oddly enough, I came up short. At the time, it didn't really mean much to me. The house was huge and it wasn't like he was there for my well-being. He had his free agency like every other human being in the world and he could roam around if he wanted to.

I heard a sound coming from the front corridor and called out toward it. "Louis?"

"Evie," a faint voice replied. The sound was almost a gurgle. "Run."

My heart raced as I realized what I was hearing and I ran to find the closest hiding place. Delancey was here. In a panic, I remembered what Cal had said about my safety and I ran upstairs all the way back to his room without looking back. For all I knew, he could have been following me up. I slammed the door shut and locked it. Then I sprinted over to the chest and dug through all the gadgets that were inside. There were miniature grenades of some kind, stakes, brass knuckles, and a wooden box with a picture of a flower etched on the cover. I grabbed one of everything and stood my ground, quivering at the knees.

Next came the sound of screaming metal as it cried against the pressure of the vampire's strength and firm grip. The door swung open to reveal his figure in the doorway, ready to kill.

"Evelyn. It's nice to see you again." He examined the stuff that I had cradled in my arms and snickered. "Do you really think you know what you're doing? A girl who couldn't even ace a simple French quiz thinks she can outsmart me with a stem of Valerian and a wooden stake?" He flashed over from the doorway to about two or three inches away.

I had to be brave and stand my ground. Cal would come back for me. He promised. Even if he was misled, he would figure it out in time to save me if I needed saving. At least that was what I was trying to convince myself of.

He smacked my arm, sending all of the contents of my hold flying through the air and crashing to the floor far away from anywhere I had the chance of reaching. "I apologize if I can't give you another speech. You understand." He squeezed both of my arms and morphed into this other creature. Then he slowly leaned in even closer and tried to bite me.

I heard a sizzle noise and he jerked back.

"What the hell?" He glanced down at my neck. "Valerian in the necklace? Really?"

A burn showed up on his neck and it took me back to the day that Cal and I were at my house. We were sitting on the couch and he was trying to comfort me when all of a sudden he pulled away. There had been a burn mark on his skin where my necklace had touched him, just like the one on Delancey's neck now.

I was losing the feeling in both of my arms as he continued to hold them tightly.

He turned me around and tried again from behind. His teeth sunk into my skin and I could feel the blood draining out of me, drop by drop.

Soon the room started spinning and I fell to the floor. I was still conscious, enough to see anyway. Beside me, the vampire was laying on the floor like a drunken man who had way too much to drink and finally just blacked out.

Moments later, Cal and Damon rushed into the room and saw us both on the floor. They glanced at each other and just like that, their faces shifted into the similar face of the man that I was so afraid of losing my life to. They pounced on Delancey, held him up straight, and ripped the heart out from his chest. His skin shriveled and turned from tan to a discolored grey and his veins surfaced. Had I had any energy at the time, I would have been freaking out. Even for a monster, the sight was more than frightening. They all were.

Their faces shifted back to normal and they looked down at me.

"She's still alive," Damon stated. "Barely conscious but still alive." He bent down and grabbed Delancey's right hand and pulled off a black ring. "This explains the whole 'walking in the sun' thing." He chuckled. "Maybe I'll sell it on eBay."

Cal picked me up and brought me over to the bed. "Do whatever you want. I have to take care of Evie." He covered me up and brushed the hair away from my eyes.

And just like that, I was out like a snuffed candle.

My dreams were corrupted by nightmares, thoughts of the Morettis eating me alive, their faces monstrous and fangs gleaming in the light of the moon. I was running through the dark, empty house, up a stair case that never ended and hallways that brought me in circles. I knew someone was following me but I didn't dare look to see his face. Suddenly, I stopped at a wall and spun around to face my death. It was the face of an angel morphed with eyes of blood. Cal exposed his fangs and ripped out my throat.

When I woke up, it was still aching. I brought my hand up to my neck and felt the bandage that covered my wound.

Cal was sitting next to me, studying my every move. "How are you feeling?" He asked with a sincere tone.

I tried to tell him about the pain but it hurt too much to talk. "It—" I cringed and ceased talking.

He nodded. "You should give your wound more time to heal."

I needed to ask him a question. I pretended I was writing on a piece of paper.

He understood and handed me a pad of paper and a pen. He looked at the page as I wrote.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"Almost two days. Don't worry, I made up an excuse for your aunt. She thinks you're still at Tara's house to have some time away from home to think. You've been feeling kind of overwhelmed lately and you needed time to unwind."

"When do you think my injury will heal?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure. I don't have a lot of experience with medical care."

"Are you a vampire?"

This was obviously not the question he had hoped to hear, or in this case, see. He took a deep breath, exhaled and did his best to control his emotions as he spoke. "Yes, but I'm not like all of the other ones. I don't drink human blood."

"I don't understand."

"I don't expect you to. I didn't want you to find out this way, if at all. I'm trying to live a normal life and it all started when I saw you. I know you might not ever understand what I do and as soon as you're well enough, you can leave if that's what you want."

I hid my pad of paper as I scrawled these words. "An evil vampire wouldn't have tried to save me. I told you that I trust you." I turned it around so he could see.

He smiled. "Thank you."

A few days after my little accident, the bite mark on my neck had gotten better; better to the point where all I had to do was apply a bit of cover-up and you couldn't even tell anything had happened. My aunt was glad to see me when I got home and she almost strangled me from the tight squeeze she gave me on the way in. She was worried that I'd finally fallen off my rocker or worse. I explained to her that everything was going to be okay and I was happy as ever. In a way, it wasn't true. I was afraid that, like Delancey, Cal was merely acting and one day he would turn on me. I couldn't let it get the best of me. Too many things were already wrong in my life and I had to stay strong, for my sanity.

Now that I could speak without sounding like I'd gargled nails, there was something that had to be said. I drove myself to school—Cal had agreed to give me some space for a while, time for thinking—and parked in my parking spot by Ben's big, black truck. The moment I got out of my car, I saw Cal sitting at a picnic table all alone. He was writing in his journal, his expression filled with uninterrupted concentration.

Determined to face what had to be confronted, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and crossed the lawn to join him.

He gazed up at me when I sat down across from him. "Good morning." He greeted.

"Good morning. Can we talk about what happened at the beginning of this week?" I know it sounded like a question but, had he said no, I would have persisted until he gave up.

"Yup. What part?"

I scoped out the area to make sure no one was close enough to hear us, and then returned my attention to him. "About you and your brother."

"Ah, yes. You mean about us being vampires."

I nodded.

He sighed and closed his journal and put it away in his backpack. Then he folded his hands in front of him on the table and leaned forward. "I was born during the summer of 1783 right here in Wolfcrest. My parents were a part of one of the founding families. When I was eighteen years old, a woman came into my room around midnight and killed me. I woke up an hour later beside my brother with a new life, unknown strength and a hunger for blood. Once my brother and I were changed, we drew apart. I've been living off of animal blood ever since."

"Animal blood?" I probed.

"Rabbits, bears, mountain lions… It depends on what's around. It's not as potent as human blood but it satisfies the desire."

"But I've seen you eat before." Why would he eat if he was dead?

He smiled. "As long as we have blood in our systems, our bodies work pretty normally. I have to drink coffee to warm up my skin a bit but otherwise we're practically still humans, just with a bit of an extra kick of super strength and heightened senses."

"Like superman." I hesitated. I had seen him drink coffee once and now that he said that, I remembered him wrinkling his nose at it.

"Now can we talk about us?" He waited for me to nod before he continued. "What do you think our relationship is?" He took my hands and brought them close to his lips.

I shrugged, staring at our entwined hands. "I don't know. All I know is that I can't live without you."

The smile on his face grew wider. "Then in the spirit of truthfulness, I would like to ask you: Would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

I pretended to think about it, suppressing the grin that was close to invading my lips. "I don't know if I should. I mean, after all, you are a man-eater." After what I've been through, I deserved a bit of humor here and there.

He kissed my hands and then leaned across the table to kiss my lips. "I'm gonna take that as a yes, because that's what man-eating vampires do." He rubbed off the moisture from my hands with his thumbs and stared at them as he said, "I need you to promise me something."

"Anything."

His eyes flashed up at me. "Promise me, no matter what happens, you won't tell anyone about my secret."

I nodded. "Of course." It wasn't my secret to tell either way.

"One more thing."

"What is it?"

Cal played with my fingers. "In order for this to work, I want you to be more involved here at school. Join a club or try out for the cheerleading squad, whatever sounds good to you." He sounded more serious than before. This didn't really seem as majorly important as the previous request.

"Okay…"

"Good." He stood up and waited for me to do the same before he held my hand and we headed for our first class.

Top that, Blondie.


	4. The New Guy

Chapter Four:

The New Guy

* * *

Since the day that Cal and I became "official," I'd been trying to cope with who the Moretti brothers truly were. We never really talked about their vampire nature after that. It was the taboo subject that neither of us wanted to bring up. Damon was a constant annoyance. Whenever Cal and I would get together for some alone time, he would crash our plans with a surprise visit and an annoying comment about us "kids" and being "safe." It was safe to say that he had it out for Cal and I. I just didn't know how far he was willing to go to drive his brother crazy. I would find out soon enough.

Before I left for school, Aunt Fauna caught me at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes stared at me with pure authority and her arms were folded in suspicion. I stopped dead in my tracks and pondered what was about to happen next.

"We need to talk."

"I glanced at the door, my only way out. "Is it possible to talk later? I've got school."

"No, now." She led the way into the living room and pointed to the couch.

I sat down and set my bag by my side, preparing for the lecture.

She refolded her arms. "Cal Moretti; what is he to you?"

"Why is that suddenly so important?" We'd been dating for a few weeks. Why would it bother her now?

"Just answer the question." She urged.

"I love him."

She gulped. "That's what I was afraid of. Alright, here it goes." A deep breath for courage and she was off on a road she couldn't come back from. "I want you to remember what your parents have taught you. There are certain things that shouldn't be done until after marriage, and even then you should wait until—"

"Nope," I shot up out of my seat and slung my bag over my shoulder. "This can definitely wait. I'm going to be late for school. Bye!" I raced passed Aunt Fauna, out the door and into my car before she could catch me. Sex talk could wait for when I was better prepared.

I was happy when I saw my boyfriend waiting for me in front of my assigned parking spot. His arms were crossed as he leaned up against a nearby tree and that handsome smile of his was plastered on his face. As I pulled into the space he stood up straight, dropping his arms to his sides, and trudged over to my car. He opened the door for me, leaned inside and gave me a kiss.

I smiled. "Hello."

He returned the sentiment and plucked me out of the car. "You're later than usual." He teased.

I closed the door and took his outstretched hand. "Yeah, my aunt wanted to talk to me about something."

"Oh? What about?"

"Nothing important." This was something I didn't want to talk about, especially not with him.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with me, would it?" Despite his question, he was still in a chipper mood.

"Nope."

"You are such a bad liar!" He started laughing uncontrollably. Everyone within a mile radius turned to stare at him.

What I wouldn't give to have super human strength so I could get away with saying stuff like that. "You know what; I'm not talking to you anymore." I let go of his hand and strutted off ahead of him with my head held high.

He chuckled some more and chased after me. He caught me around the waist and held me close. "Sorry, I got worried about you so I stopped by." In other words, he heard the whole conversation from outside. Then he kissed me and grabbed my hand.

We walked into the school to start another boring day of "learning". I normally would have gone to my locker but we didn't have time for that.

On the way to my French class, Cal stopped in front of a sign posted up on a bulletin board in the hallway. "Would you look at that?" He nudged me and pointed to the poster.

_Wolfcrest High School is proud to present a rendition of:_

_ROMEO AND JULIET_

_The story about two star-crossed lovers in a senior high school._

_Auditions will be held Wednesday and Thursday, October 12 & 13, 2011_

_From 3 to 8 o'clock after school._

_Pit Orchestra auditions will be held in the Band Room from 3 to 5 PM._

_All tryout materials and signups will be available in Ms. McMillan's Room._

_Good Luck!_

I scrutinized the poster. "So? It's a poster about auditions for a musical."

"Remember that little talk we had about being more involved? This is a perfect opportunity to—"

"No way, José," I interrupted. "The stage and I aren't exactly pals. Besides, I can't sing."

"Oh, come on. You won't know until you try out." He urged.

With a sigh and a roll of my eyes, I gave up. "Fine, but if I'm doing this, you're going to be right there with me the entire time."

Cal grinned. "Alright." The bell rang to alert us that first period had commenced. "We should probably go." We continued to our class without stopping.

We got there just in time for the brand new French teacher to write his name on the board. He turned his head as we came in and rushed to our seats. Then he placed the piece of chalk down and faced the class, fixing his light brown hair back into its neat style.

"Good morning everyone. I'm Mr. Quinton, your new French teacher. I recently moved here from Seattle Washington. I've been teaching French for seven years. As your new teacher, I created a little assignment that I would like you guys to do. Think of this as some much needed extra credit after your last test." He picked up a stack of papers from his desk and began passing them out without ever removing his blue eyes from the papers in his hands. "I want all of you to write about yourselves; favorite subject, hobbies, etc. And for you funny guys, I want it in French. It'll be due Wednesday at the end of class."

I looked over the assignment and sighed. Out of everyone in that class, I was probably the one that needed it the most.

Class came and went as did history, calculus, and physical education. As me and my friends sat at our lunch table, I zoned out to think without being disturbed by my surroundings. Many of my worries surrounded the case of the new French teacher. I was not looking forward to a repeat of the vampire teacher scenario, if that's what was coming for me. I figured a vampire boyfriend and his brother were enough for one girl to handle. Any other monster-type person would have to wait for the next dumb brunette, as it should be.

Cal noticed my pondering look and squeezed my hand. "So, what do you think, Evie?"

I blinked my way into the present and focused on his face. "What do I think about what?" With my luck, he was probably doing this on purpose to throw me off.

"About Ben and Tara trying out for the musical."

"I'm signing up for the stage crew," Ben corrected.

I put on my best happy face and grinned. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I'll probably join you after I bomb the audition."

Cal elbowed me playfully. "If you actually try to get in, I know you'll do great." Then he leaned in and whispered in my ear. "I almost believe your act right now." He pulled away and beamed.

If he didn't have strength on his side, I would have beaten him up. I grabbed my sandwich and took a regretful bite out of it. Cafeteria food in Wolfcrest was appalling. No matter what sandwich you got, it always tasted like beets and the chicken nuggets literally bounced when they hit the floor. You'd always see a kid trying to see who could get their chicken to bounce the farthest and then the lunch ladies would come out of the kitchen and start handing out detention slips.

The bell rang for the end of our lunch period. Ben, Molly, Tara and Charlie said goodbye to us and left to go to their classes. Cal and I held hands and casually strolled to our English class. Neither of us felt like rushing through the crowded hallways. As we walked at our abnormally slow pace, he brought up the subject that had been haunting my mind for the past few hours.

"I have a funny feeling about this Quinton guy."

"I know what you mean, but what are we gonna do?" The only idea I had was to carry around a stake in my back pocket and hope I never had to use it.

He glanced around at the busy bodies that were sprinting passed us so they weren't late. "I'm going to get a background check on him, maybe observe him for a bit. You know, make sure he's actually human. After some good digging, I'll feel a whole lot better about you going to school."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not a baby. I can handle it."

He stopped me and pulled me into a cranny between two rows of lockers. "You mean like how you handled yourself last time with Henry Delancey? Yeah, I don't think so. I'm not letting you out of my sight until I check this guy out." Part of the irrational emotions he was expressing I guessed came from the memory of his uncle's death. Other than his brother, his uncle Louis was the last family member that he had left. He was the last human one, anyway.

I was willing to call him out for it. "I know you weren't there to protect your uncle but you don't need to babysit me all the time. He was one of the ones that helped save my life and I'm grateful for that, but there are some things that I have to be able to do on my own. And one of those things is to protect myself." He opened his mouth to interrupt me but I held a finger to his lips to silence him. "I trusted you when it mattered most. It's time for you to give me a little trust in return. It's only fair."

This was not what he wanted to hear. "We'll talk about this later. Right now, we have to get to English before Mr. Killian writes us up for 'disruptive tardiness'." Controlled, he stepped out into the traffic of the hall and started towards Mr. Killian's classroom.

After school was finally over, Cal and I picked up our audition materials from Ms. McMillan in the drama department and headed out for the day. He insisted that we should start rehearsing immediately so we ended up taking my car to my house to go over our parts. I was trying out for the lead—I figured if I aimed high it would be easier to get shot down—and Cal was auditioning for the role of Romeo. The scene that we were required to perform for our audition was the balcony scene from the original play. It was supposedly one of the only parts of the musical that kept the same lines. Then, naturally, the two lovers would have to break out in song. A musical isn't a musical without a few hundred songs here and there.

I was having a little trouble keeping a straight face while saying my lines. While I already was in love with the boy who was going over the script with me, it was hard not to laugh while imagining what he might have to wear for the performance. Grant it, this was going to be a knockoff of the original based in a modern, high school setting but imagining Cal as Romeo from the 1960s movie rendition of it was hilarious.

"No, no, no. You have to be serious," he chuckled, not helping his case at all. "Juliet is supposed to be longing for her Romeo." He peered down at his script and recited my line. "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?"

I took a deep breath and did a few mouth exercises to get my mind in the zone. Then I repeated the line for perhaps the hundredth time. "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" I could tell almost immediately that I'd done it wrong.

Cal scratched his head with one hand on his hip, thinking. Not even five seconds later, he got an idea. "I got it. Come here." He tugged on my arm and brought me to the middle of the staircase. "Close your eyes and try to imagine the setting as I describe it to you."

I couldn't believe I had agreed to do this. Acting was one of the worst creations in the world, that is unless someone else was doing it; Ian Somerhalder perhaps. I closed my eyes and waited for the inspiration to come as I used my imagination.

"You're leaning against the railing of the balcony that looks over your father's estate. There's a garden below with a fountain in the middle of it, surrounded by rose bush upon rose bush. The sun has already fallen only to be replaced by the moon. However, nothing that you see matters to you because the one person you are longing for is far away, as far as you know. Suddenly, he appears."

Strangely enough, I could almost see it. There I was, in my pajamas overlooking a large garden with white and red roses closing in on a beautiful stone fountain. Out of all the beauty that I could see before me, all I wanted to do was look at the moon, hoping that my Romeo was doing the same as he thought about me. Then he climbs up a vine to be closer to me.

"Now open your eyes and try it again."

"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?"

He smiled. "That's it."

Without thinking, I plowed right through my monologue as if I really was this Juliet. "Deny thy father and refuse they name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet."

"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"

"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee take all myself." I was getting really into it, dramatically resting my head and arms on the railing.

Cal climbed the outside of the stairs as I had imagined. "I take thee at thy word: call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo." He drew nearer and our lips touched.

And that's when Aunt Fauna walked in through the front door and stopped dead in her tracks. "What on earth are you two doing?"

He jumped down from where he was standing and straightened up. "We're rehearsing for a musical audition; Romeo and Juliet."

She eyed him curiously. "Really?" She hesitated before she decided to ignore everything that she had seen. "Evie, guess what?"

"What?" I responded as I walked back down the stairs, leaving my free hand on the railing.

"It's the beginning of October and I still have to go to a parent-teacher conference tomorrow night." She seemed really annoyed about it too.

"You do?"

"Yeah. The other parents and I have a meeting with Mr. Quinton. I have to sit through half an hour of a teacher talking about how much we should care what you kids are doing in class. I don't know about you, but I never was a big fan of French." She grinned and then glanced at the two of us. "Either of you want to dress up like an adult and go for me instead?"

I laughed openly. "I think I'll take a rain check on that one."

She shrugged. "It was worth a try." I had a feeling she was pretending Cal wasn't there. Aunt Fauna proceeded up the stairs without another word.

Cal followed her with his eyes until he couldn't see her any longer. "I don't think she likes me yet."

"Oh, she does. She's just in her 'I'll pretend I've been the mother of this girl since she was born' phase. I don't think she knows what to do with me."

His eyes flashed to the spot where she had disappeared around the corner, disbelieving.

We continued to rehearse the scene for the rest of the night, only taking a break to eat dinner. Ten o'clock approached and Cal decided he should leave so he could go home and finish what was left of his homework.

"Do you need a ride?" I asked, forgetting one key piece of information.

He chuckled. "That's okay. I'm a good runner. I only use the car to keep up appearances. A lot of people know that I live a bit further away than everyone else and they'd get suspicious if I showed up to school without one."

I blushed. "Oh, right. I'll see you later then."

"See you later." He gave me a kiss that lasted a good minute and literally vanished right before my eyes. Vampires. You can't live with them and you can't live without them. Well, the good-looking, smart, non-human eating ones, anyway.

Flushed, I went upstairs to my room without even looking at any of the homework that I should have worked on. I changed into my cozy, plush pajama pants, brushed my teeth, and crawled into bed.

I wasn't alone for long.

A figure appeared in the darkness by my window. Fear struck through me like lightning. I knew it was going to be another vampire attack. Destiny must have had it out for me. I must have really pissed off the wrong person somehow. I was too quiet and unfriendly in a way that upset a higher being. My time would come to an end and no one could ever guess what had happened to me.

As I sat up I slowly reached for the light that I might look into the eyes of my killer. I switched on the lamp and was not disappointed. "Was it necessary to scare the crap out of me?"

Damon plopped himself down on the window seat and rested his arms along the sill. "No, I guess not, but it was a good exercise." He smiled. "Don't you think?" Sarcasm was his greatest friend and for that I wanted to smack him.

"Um, no." I answered matter-of-factly. "What are you doing here, Damon?"

"Cal had to finish his homework and take care of some important teenager errands. He told me to keep an eye on you while he was gone. Grant it, I wasn't supposed to let you know I was here but this is way more fun."

"Go away."

"Um, no." He mocked sarcastically.

I sighed and buried my face in my pillow. "I need to go to sleep."

"Then go to sleep. I'll try to be quiet." His biting tone was getting on my nerves.

I turned over and glared at him. "If you try anything funny, I've got valerian and I'm not afraid to use it."

He sighed and leaned his head back. "One day, you'll change your mind." He closed his eyes and said no more.

It took me a while to fall asleep. I didn't feel safe knowing that the harmful Moretti brother was sitting in my room. No one had clarified what kind of blood Damon preferred and my life could be in danger. Once I reminded myself that Cal had told him to come as my protection, I relaxed. He wouldn't have done it if he thought Damon would hurt me, that much I knew.

Dreamless sleep came to me and I awoke a few hours later. I glanced over at the window seat and let out a breath that wouldn't expel from my lungs. He was gone.

That day was another boring day at school. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened and I was able to turn in my extra credit for French early—I'd done it while I was waiting for class to start. When school ended, Cal and I went to my house to rehearse again. This time we were practicing the beginning musical number that everyone has to be able to sing. I didn't tell him about Damon and the fact that he snuck into my room. For some reason I couldn't explain, I felt the need to hide this from him. I knew Damon didn't do that eye trick—what they refer to as compelling—on me because my necklace was never off. If he had tried to remove it, he would have burned his hands.

As we listened to the recording that Cal made of the piano part, we looked over the lyrics and tried to hum along. The song was basically a summary of the main plot line. It mentioned that the star-crossed lovers were destined to never be together but they overcame fate and had a happily ever after. Why give away the ending? That didn't make any sense. Either way, it was kind of a cute story. Romeo and Juliet was my favorite Shakespeare play. Hamlet was almost as good.

After work, Aunt Fauna came home and quickly changed out of her casual business clothes. When she came back downstairs, she was wearing a flowing, navy blue dress with purple stripes. It was very single-parent-esque. She paused at the bottom of the steps when she saw us staring and twirled. "How do I look?"

"Great. What's the occasion?" Last night she was complaining that she didn't want to go. What happened to that aunt?

"I figured I should dress to impress. I have a reputation as your legal guardian to uphold. Appearance is the first step of gaining someone's respect."

"Amen." I chuckled. "Let's not break too many hearts out there."

She stuck her tongue out at me and headed for the door. "You two behave yourselves."

I turned to Cal. "Yeah, behave yourself."

"She was talking to you too, Evie." He nudged me as he spoke. He got up from his seat on the couch and made his way towards the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" I asked. I didn't exactly keep pints of blood in the fridge.

"I'm gonna go make you dinner. Is that okay?"

I got up and followed after him. "I guess but I don't think you'll find anything. I haven't gone grocery shopping since—"

He opened the refrigerator and smirked. Every single shelf and drawer was stocked full of food.

"What the…? Did you—?"

"Yup. After your aunt said she was going to her parent-teacher conference, I filled your fridge so I could make you dinner." He grabbed an armful of ingredients and started going at it.

In minutes there were chopped vegetables sautéing, steaks grilling, and potatoes boiling for mashed potatoes. He was the only person I knew who left the skins on the potatoes when making homemade mashed potatoes. I offered to help him out but he insisted that he had everything under control. He even set the table all fancy and lit a couple of candles. Without a doubt, he was one of the most romantic guys I had ever met.

During dinner, we discussed the plan that we had for the play, should we both make it in of course. He would quit if I didn't get in but I would not be allowed to do the same if he didn't make it. Tara was auditioning too so he thought that should be enough to get me to stay. He was wrong but I let him believe otherwise.

"So what are we going to do about Quinton? I can't have Damon checking up on me all night…" _Oops._ "I mean…" Who knew I would be the one to mess this up. I figured Damon would say something first just to be snarky, not allow me to say it accidentally during one of the most wonderful meal I've had in a long time.

He looked at me with a quizzical brow. "What?"

"I'm sorry. I wasn't going to say anything about it."

He shook his head. "The only thing I don't understand is how you knew about it."

Wasn't it obvious? "He told me you didn't want him to show himself but—"

"You mean he was in your room?" He exploded.

Back to, yes, that should have been obvious. "It's not that big of a deal. He didn't bother me too much. It just took me a little longer to fall asleep."

He shook his head. "You don't understand. He shouldn't have been able to even get in the house. That's why I had him go. I didn't think he'd be able to get in."

Vampires can't come in unless a human invites them into their home.

My jaw dropped and I remained speechless for a good while.

Disappointment and a hint of rage ran through his body. "Do you remember ever inviting him in? He might have dressed up as a serviceman or he may have compelled you."

I flashed through all of my memories of Damon, flinching when the dream of him and I appeared amongst the horde. "Yes, he dropped by after we went to the grille with Ben and Tara. He told me he was checking up on me for you. I'm sorry. I hadn't known about you two being vampires yet so I invited him in. I didn't see the harm in it then." To be honest, I didn't really see the harm in it now. Why was it so important that Damon stay away from me?

"Evie. Do you remember that story on the news about the couple that lost control of their car and crashed into a tree?"

"Yeah, I balled like a baby all over your shirt and accidentally burned you with my necklace." It took me a second but I eventually put two and two together. "Damon did that?"

He sighed. "Damon likes to make an entrance. When he goes out to hunt, it isn't any different. He scares his victims into silence before he drains the life out of them. He's really good when it comes to covering it up so it doesn't draw any attention to our kind." He gazed into my eyes. "I'm not sure what I would do if he ever hurt you. I don't want you to end up as the next bit of news coverage."

I shook my head, trying to ignore the guilt I felt about inviting his brother into my house. "Maybe he can change." I stated in disbelief.

"No, Evie. He can't change. Believe me, I've tried but no matter what I do, he only makes things worse."

"Then you'll have to try harder. This time you'll have me to help you out." I knew his brother's behavior meant a lot to him. I'd be doing this for him, not for Damon.

"Evie," he began. "I know you think he can be helped but no matter what we do, it only makes him angrier. If we try, he'll fight us away and he'll take innocents down with him. This time, it might be you."

Me? A victim? What's new about that? "He wouldn't be the first one to stick his vampire fangs where they don't belong. Let's just try and if it doesn't work, we'll stop."

"I'm not talking about this anymore."

Again, we finished eating in perfect, ear-wrenching silence. My mind was spinning in circles that it often shied away from. Now it was unstoppable and ran off on its own. For Cal, nothing was impossible and he never quit when a path had to be taken. It all came back to the girl from way back when. What had she done to these boys to make them hate each other, their own flesh and blood? In my books, she was worse than the satanic, most popular girl in school. Could Damon really kill somebody just to kill them? Angry, I could understand but was he truly a killer? _Oh well,_ I thought. _I have enough to worry about._

The song we rehearsed was a halfhearted melody now. Cal and I continued to rehearse it and he was able to act like neither of us had spoken about Damon. In the middle of my solo part, Aunt Fauna got back from her conference all bubbly and ecstatic.

"I have a question for you." She said, pointing at me like Uncle Sam in all of those "join the army" posters. "Who has two thumbs and a date with Ian Quinton?"

_Oh, no._

"This girl." She squealed with her thumbs indicating herself.

"Nice job. Only you could go to a parent-teacher conference and come back with a date. Where are you kids going?" I didn't want to tell her that she may have to cancel because he could be a bloodsucker.

"He's going to call me in the morning but we're going out tomorrow night." Her eyes were bright and she was beaming uncontrollably. She actually skipped upstairs to her room.

Out of nowhere, Cal was standing beside me. "I don't have a good feeling about this guy. We should follow them tomorrow night to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"What's the plan?"

He sat down and had me do the same before he divulged his master plan. "I'll stand outside his classroom until he makes the call to Fauna. When they go together, we'll be right behind them the entire time. We can sit on the other side of the area and I'll monitor their conversation while you look at what they're doing. If he doesn't attack her tonight, I'll drop you off here and follow him home to see if he behaves like one of our kind."

"And what am I supposed to do when I'm home?"

"Make sure no one invites him in, should he drop by again. If he gets in once, he'll do it again."

School was uneventful for me personally. Cal got to do all the fun stuff because of his super hearing and I had to go to class. A few people asked me where he was. They figured that we were never apart and the evil Kristen Clements assumed the worst. "Aw, did he finally dump you? That's too bad." Then she spun around in one sleek movement and clacked away in her hot pink stilettos. How she ever made any friends I will never know. Everyone wanted to be her or date her. Why?

There were a few odd parts of the day. French was definitely one of them. Mr. Quinton felt the need to come to me after class and inform me that he had scheduled a date with my aunt. "I don't know if she told you but…" and you know the rest.

Lunchtime came along and I could tell that Tara was a bit worried about Cal's absence. She wouldn't speak even when Ben brought up auditions after school. Tara was going for the role of Juliet's maid and would have normally been excited to talk about it. Ben had to coax the words out of her before she expressed her opinion.

The final bell rang for dismissal. I almost jogged to the auditorium where the auditions for the actors, dancers, and singers were being held. I descended down the aisle to the stage where other students were beginning to line up to get their number and their picture taken. The casters' process, as far as I understood, included profiling the actor/actress to appear like the character. If they imagined Juliet to be a blonde, they'd cast a blonde based on their picture and the notes they had taken of the actress. I was number 6. Once my picture was taken, I snuck a peek at the person behind me and saw it was Cal, right on time as usual. We proceeded to the stage itself where the choreographer was waiting to test our dance skills.

The woman didn't commence until all one hundred and seven of us had finished with the photographer. In groups of about twenty people she invited us to center stage. Each time she called a new group, she showed them the short routine and had them copy it. In the seats below, the director and his assistant jotted down how well each student picked up the routine on a scale of one to ten. My number was called first and, for the first time ever, I was grateful to my aunt for making me take dance lessons right after my mother died. Her reasoning at the time was to help me take my mind off of my parents. That day, they prevented me from making a complete fool of myself.

Step three was the acting portion of our performance. They had us partner up according to the scenes we had rehearsed so that everyone had someone to say their lines with. Cal reminded me to breathe and imagine the balcony and I'd do fine—and if I did badly on purpose he would find some way to punish me severely. Afraid to think of what he might do, I tried my hardest to believe I was Juliet and I was speaking to my Romeo. I made a few minor mistakes, while he did perfectly, but it wasn't that bad.

Then we moved onto the final stage: singing. I tried to pretend I was Nicole Kidman singing with Ewan McGregor in the movie Moulin Rouge. It helped me forget about all the people watching me while simultaneously making me think of talking sitars and elephants.

Ironically enough, I was more nervous about the audition after it was over and I knew I had to wait than when I was waiting to perform. The intensity of it all was way too much for me to bear. As Cal walked me to my car, I started getting the jitters. It got so bad that he insisted on driving. I allowed it and got into the passenger's seat.

The road ahead was clear but that wouldn't have mattered either way. Cal could drive through anything and he didn't even have to look at the road. In fact, he looked at me as he spoke. "I didn't hear or see anything out of the ordinary. Dinner tonight is at eight. He's planning on picking her up from your guys' house. We'll wait exactly five minutes before we follow after them. Does that sound feasible?"

"Yup, that sounds great. Where are they going?"

"He didn't tell her but I heard him making a reservation for Dubois's for 8:15."

That was a very fancy French place owned by Mayor Nicolas Gimbly's wife. Neither of them actually cooked or anything but they ate there occasionally. The mayor believed that people who owned property were more responsible because it brought more money into Wolfcrest. It was all those large financial terms that got him elected into office.

By the time we got home, it was almost seven o'clock. Aunt Fauna had not yet gotten home from work yet which gave us plenty of time for us to get dressed in our black-tie outfits and our cover clothes. When she came through the front door, we were sitting innocently on the couch watching television. The game was on and Cal tried his best to act excited about it. She didn't bother to check on us. Instead she slammed the door behind her and raced up the stairs like a mad woman. She came back down precisely on time for the doorbell to ring. She took in a deep breath, stood up straight, and answered the door.

"Hello." Mr. Quinton greeted. He handed her a bouquet of flowers with a smile.

Her eyes lit up. "Would you—?"

Cal quickly got up and offered his hand. "I can go put those in a vase if you'd like."

"Thanks, Cal." She handed them off to him and grabbed her coat and purse. "Looks like I'm ready to go when you are."

Mr. Quinton stepped aside to let her pass and glared back at Cal when she wasn't looking.

Cal closed the door and took off his back-up clothes to show off his tuxedo. "Let's get ready to vamoose."

I whipped off the blanket that was laid across my lap and pulled off the t-shirt that covered my little black dress. "I was born ready." I took his arm and waited for him to lead me out.

We made it there precisely five minutes after my aunt and Mr. Quinton. They were already seated on the west side of the restaurant, chatting about who knows what. My boyfriend walked up to the maître d and leaned against the podium. "Do you have a seat open on the east side?" He said with his best French accent.

The maître d stared at him and pointed to the sign next to him. "No seating without a reservation."

He glanced back at me and then back at the guy. "Please find us a seat on the east side, monsieur."

His eyes were wide and he nodded. "Right this way, sir—miss." The man grabbed a couple of menus and escorted us to a table on the opposite side of the room from my aunt. He then scooted in my chair for me after I was seated. "I'll have a waiter come right away." He looked delirious as he walked away and brought his hand to his temples.

"What did you do that for?" I scolded.

Cal shrugged. "It was an emergency," said the man who was completely against using his vampire powers for his own gain. He may have been right. It was a bit of an emergency. I should have seen it coming.

I looked across the restaurant at the thirty-year old couple we were in charge of keeping safe. "What are they saying?" I mouthed the words to him. We weren't allowed to speak, in case Mr. Quinton could hear us.

He took a small memo pad and a pen out of his jacket pocket and wrote down his reply. "You."

Figures. I was the only thing that they knew they had in common right now which meant that Aunt Fauna would be taking advantage of the topic until it got old. She might as well take out the family album and show him all of my baby pictures. I grabbed the pen and paper from his hands. "Specifically, I mean."

"Quinton asked, 'Does Cal hang out at your house often?' and she replied, 'He practically lives there… He's dating my niece, Evie.'

Quinton: 'I thought those two seemed close. Speaking of close, what happened to her parents?'

Fauna: 'They passed away when she was young. My brother listed me as the appointed guardian so now she's in my care.'

Q: 'I'm sorry. I know how you feel. My sister passed away not too long ago.'

F: 'Oh, I'm so sorry. That has to be worse than anything I'm going through. How did it happen?'

Q: 'A vicious animal attack. She was a big runner and a mountain lion was prowling through the streets looking for food. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.'"

I stopped his hand. "That's good." I mouthed.

Dinner was delicious. I stayed on the lookout for anything weird while Cal continued to monitor their conversation word for word. As soon as they stood up, we were out the door—he compelled the waiter that he had already paid. He drove through the streets as fast as my car would go and carried me inside to my room so we could both change back into our street clothes. For now, Ian Quinton had passed the test. He was just a human man who lost his sister.

She didn't suspect a thing when they got back. Cal told me they kissed on the porch before he snuck out the back to follow Quinton home. Now that I knew almost certainly that the man she was dating wasn't a monster, I was happy for her. She needed a man in her life to take the stress of taking care of me out of the way.

After school on Friday, Cal was acting really strangely as he brought me to his car. We were going to hang out at his house for a bit. As he was driving, I examined his features suspiciously. "What did you do?"

He smirked. "I don't know what you mean by that but I have great news that you'll be quite happy about."

"What is it?"

"We got into the musical!" He turned to me. "Isn't that awesome?"

_Ugh_, I thought._ Maybe I got a part in the background or something._ "What parts did we get?"

"Romeo and Juliet, obviously. Those are the parts we tried out for."

I glowered. "You didn't happen to compel Mr. Ornelas"—the director—"into letting us get those parts, did you?" It wouldn't be the first time this week.

"Nope," He said without pause. "You earned it fair and square. I told you that you could do it if you gave it an honest effort." He reached for his backpack that sat behind my seat and handed it to me.

"Do you need something?" I asked with confusion.

"Open it."

I did as I was told and pulled out the thing that was right on top. It was a copy of the entire script for _Romeo and Juliet_, high school edition. I flipped through the pages and wanted to die. What had I gotten myself into?

He pulled into his driveway and we went inside. I plopped my stuff down on the couch and continued to read the script. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this. Have you looked at this yet?"

"Yes, I know. I know. It might seem like a bit much to ask from you but I really think this will help." He sat down beside me and let me lean against him, wrapping his arm around me.

"You know what would help more? If you tell me more about what you've been avoiding. I'd like to know about the person I'll be working with for the next I don't know how many weeks trying to memorize more than a hundred lines."

It didn't take him long to cave in. "Alright, fine. What do you want to know?"

"Maybe you should tell her about what you did to Guinn." Damon was standing in the doorway, dripping wet from head to toe.

"Guinn?" Guinevere, the girl I wish I had the pleasure of meeting so I could slap her upside the head and ask her to get out of town and leave my boyfriend alone.

Cal gently moved me to the side and flew over to Damon. "Leave her out of this. Why did you go into Evie's room, Damon?" He asked sternly.

He snickered. "Oh, come on. I wasn't going to eat her. I just played with her mind a little. Well, the first time. The second time I only did what you asked, with a small addition of my own. The fact that she kissed me in her sleep was a bonus."

A growl ripped through his throat and he leapt out at his brother.

Damon quickly moved out of the way and chuckled. "You're gonna have to do a lot better than that, brother." Then he zipped out of the room, never to be heard from again.

_Kiss? I kissed him?_ Now I couldn't tell if that nightmare was exactly that or it had actually happened. I rushed over to Cal's side and squatted down by his crumpled form. "Are you okay?"

He sat up and brushed off the dirt from his clothes. "Yeah, I'll be okay."

"What did he mean by all of that?" I squeaked.

"He must have gone into your room after you invited him in. Vampires have the ability to play with a human's mind and literally haunt their dreams. He probably made you dream about him."

That was it. I finally comprehended what he meant when he said that whatever we did to help Damon, he would only get angrier. Even when we weren't trying, he tortured his brother without caring if he got hurt. The vampire was officially on my crap list.


	5. Witches and Warlocks

Chapter Five:

Witches and Warlocks

* * *

That Monday was day one of the irritating play practice. I'm sorry. I meant musical practice. If Mr. Ornelas had seen me writing that he would have tanned my hide. Apparently there is a big difference between a musical and a play. One has singing and dancing and the other doesn't. Oh yeah; such a huge difference.

Anyway, Mr. Ornelas and his assistant director—Mrs. McMillan—wanted to start getting ready for the Valentine's Day performance immediately before people began making plans for any other normal things that people with social lives would be doing. While the actors were learning the dance routine and rehearsing the songs, the pit orchestra was practicing the sheet music in the band room and the stage crew began creating the props. The costume makers had to interrupt every once in a while to take someone's measurements but otherwise we were drilling all of this information into our brains nonstop. My brain felt like it was going to explode and apparently I wasn't the only one who thought so.

Kristen Clements, who suddenly had an artistic backbone and got the part of Rosaline, got frustrated and stomped all over the stage prop that Ben was currently slaving over. He glared at her with such intensity that his face might have stayed that way permanently. Unexpectedly, a rope came out of nowhere and caught Kristen by the foot. To anyone who hadn't been staring directly at it the entire time, it would have seemed like the klutz had merely tripped over her big feet. I had seen it with my own two eyes and I knew that, somehow, the rope had moved on its own.

Rehearsal continued on without her and ended promptly at nine o'clock. We would be meeting almost every school day until February. It seemed so far away.

The minute Cal and I changed out of our shorts and t-shirts, we headed for the exit. As we made our way to the car, I spotted Ben slowly trudging over to his truck. I faced my boyfriend and gave him a kiss. "I got to go talk with Ben. I'll meet you at my house."

He nodded, not quite sure what was going on and waved goodbye.

Without Ben seeing me, I climbed into the passenger's seat of his truck and waited for him to get his wits about him. He slid into the vehicle and jumped when he finally saw me sitting there. "Oh, hey Evie. Need a ride?"

"If you wouldn't mind."

"Not at all." He started the engine and sighed.

I waited until Cal's car was far away before I commenced asking him any questions. "What exactly happened to you today?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"You don't have to lie to me, Ben. I've known you since we were babies. Fess up."

He stared down at his hands and looked up at me. "I don't know what happened. One minute I was working on the base for the rolling staircase prototype and the next Kristen was smashing it to pieces. I didn't mean to trip her."

That didn't make any sense. "You couldn't have tripped her. You were sitting at least five feet away from her when she fell."

Ben shook his head. "I did do it. I can't explain." He let a breath of air in and gradually let it out. "I got mad and started wishing that she'd fall on her face. Then it just happened."

"What do you think it means?" _Poor Ben is going crazy._

"I don't know, but you can't tell anyone about it. I don't want to end up in a loony bin somewhere with a straightjacket."

Instinctively I leaned over and gave him a hug. "I won't tell, I promise. Your secret's safe with me." Might as well add it to the pile.

"I mean it, Evie. You can't tell anyone. Not Cal, not Tara, nobody. I don't want this getting around to Molly." Fear vibrated through his voice.

He was really taking this hard. "It doesn't leave this conversation."

He took in more air and released it in a single jagged breath. "Okay," he remarked before he shifted his truck into reverse and pulled out of the school parking lot.

Five minutes. That's how long it takes to get from the high school to my house. Five minutes of pure, agonizing stillness. I stepped into my house and was met with a tall, dark and handsome statue standing with arms crossed by the stairs.

"What's going on?"

I kicked the door shut and keeled over on my couch. "Nothing's going on."

He pounced on top of me and moved the hair from out of my eyes. "Oh really? Then why is Ben still sitting in the driveway?" He countered.

"He's a bit frazzled lately. It's probably best if he doesn't drive until he clears his mind."

"So you're not secretly dating him?"

I chuckled. "There are two things that make your question more than a stupid thing to ask. First of all, he's got a girlfriend and second of all I've got you. Why would either of us want the other? Besides he's like my older brother."

"Second of all? I'm a second of all?" He pretended to be astounded.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. Now get off of me so I can sleep in peace." Hoping my aunt wouldn't catch us was the least of my problems… which reminded me. "Is Aunt Fauna home?"

He kissed my neck and smiled. "Nope. She's out on a date with Iron Man Ian."

"You're so weird!" I giggled. He started calling him that after he was absolutely certain that Mr. Quinton wasn't a vampire because now he was Cal's hero. We always had the house to ourselves which is how Cal preferred it.

He continued to kiss me during which he replied, "You know you like it."

I had to give him that one. Everyone was weird in their own special way. His way just happened to be the coolest way ever! He was better than the gay, sparkly vampire in that irritating teenage drama. He was selfless but he also knew when to have a little fun.

We stayed on the couch for a while longer. Suddenly my phone started vibrating. I sat up and looked to see who it was texting me. It was Ben. I scrolled through the message. It said, "I have an idea. Come over a.s.a.p."

I texted him back that I would be right over and stood up. "I got to go. Ben's having a personal crisis." I bent down and gave him a kiss. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay," he replied with a groan. He smiled, putting on his best "I don't really care that you're suddenly spending all of your time with another guy" face. Deep down, I knew he was getting kind of jealous.

Once I grabbed my keys and a hoodie, I sprinted to my car and sped a few blocks down the street to Ben's house. We used to hang out all the time. Then the years flew by and we were growing up way too fast, hardly having time for each other. That had to change. My friends were one of my only ties to the normal, human past.

I skipped up the steps and let myself in like I always used to do. Mr. Whitman was the first person I saw.

"Evie!" He came across the room and gave me a hug. "Nice to see you again. It's certainly been a while."

"Hey, Mr. Whitman. Sorry, I've been really busy with college preparations. Is Ben home?"

Mr. Whitman smiled at me real big. He had always imagined that Ben and I would grow up together and get married. He was disappointed when Ben started dating Molly instead of me. I had to reassure him that I thought of his son as more of a close family member than anything else. Since then, he had referred to me as the daughter he never had. "He's up in his room doing some research or something. Go right ahead." Only he would not be suspicious of a girl going in his son's room—well at least not this one.

"Thanks, Mr. W," I called back as I rushed up the stairs.

Ben's room was the first door on the left at the top of the winding staircase. If you looked out his window, all you would see was the giant oak tree that he used to climb down when he snuck out to see the midnight viewings of Harry Potter every year. His wallpaper was a sort of purple color because once his parents found out they were having a baby, they were almost certain it was going to be a girl. They covered the room in pink only to have to cover it up when they found out it was really a boy. Unfortunately, it never actually stayed blue for long.

A light rap on the door alerted him that I was standing in his doorway and he waved me to come in. "I found something that could explain what happened to me earlier." He flipped around the huge volume that he was holding in his arms and pointed to the page. As I skimmed over the passage he continued, "I have a long line of grade 'A' nut jobs who have been claiming to be, get this, witches."

My mind couldn't comprehend what he was telling me. "What does that mean for you?" He tripped someone using his brain?

"I'm a warlock!" He whispered ecstatically. "Isn't that awesome?"

I affirmed it with a nod of my head. "Yeah… So?"

"So?" He pulled me over to his computer and turned on the monitor. "Look. Newspaper reporters have been dismissing my family as a bunch of crazies since the sixties. It all started with my grandma Pearl when she was about my age. It says here that she accidentally lit a newspaper stand on fire. Who accidentally lights a newspaper stand on fire?"

"Let me get this straight. Because your grandma lit a newsstand up in smoke back in the sixties, you think you're a witch?"

"Warlock, and is it so hard to believe?"

"Actually, no it's not. That's the freaky part." That's the beauty of being a part of the supernatural community nowadays. Nothing really seemed to be impossible anymore. Now all I needed was a pet unicorn and a flying monkey and I'd be all set to move into the mental hospital.

He turned his chair. "There's more."

"There's more?" I repeated.

"Yup. Watch this." He put his hands on either side of my face and closed his eyes. "Think about a type of ice cream. Not your favorite because I can guess that. Just a random flavor."

_Hot Fudge Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip. _It was the only flavor I could think about since he said the words "ice cream." It was my favorite flavor and not just because it was super-duper long and complicated but because it was to die for.

"I told you not to think of your favorite flavor."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help—wait, how did you know what I was thinking?" My jaw dropped as I understood what he was trying to demonstrate. "That is so cool!"

He grinned. "I know. Ever since Kristen stomped on my prop, I've been finding out one horrid thing after another. I read Cal's mind on accident while I was sitting in the driveway. By the way, he's suspicious of you and me."

I chuckled. "I know. He's being silly because he's not used to us hanging out like we always did before he came along. Besides, we should hang out more often now that we've got all of this stress from the musical. It might help you control your powers." Powers. What a strange word coming out of my mouth.

"You're right. We don't hang out as much as we should, even before today happened. It's been a heck of a month without you."

"I agree." I glanced at his alarm clock that sat beside his bed. "It's getting late. I better get back before my aunt clobbers me in the head with a stack of books. I'll see you tomorrow at school.

We hugged prior to me bounding down the stairs, passed the curious Mr. Whitman, back to my car. I went to put on my seatbelt and jumped back. Cal was sitting silently in the front seat staring at me.

Letting my heart restart, I took a deep breath. "Okay, Cal. This has got to stop. You're acting ridiculous."

"This time, it's for your safety. Damon just texted me that he's in the area again and I wanted to make sure you were well protected on your way back home. I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression." He started the engine for me and sat back in his seat.

I drove us back to my house and went inside without wavering. I climbed the stairs up to my room, closed the door behind me and changed into my pajamas before I reopened it to let Cal in. If Damon was here, he was the one who wasn't going to be leaving my sight. At this stage of the game, I knew that we would never get caught. Cal could hide at lightning speeds if my aunt ever came in to check on me. Lucky for us, she never did. We spent the entire night in each other's arms asleep. He may have thought that he was protecting me by keeping me safe but the truth of it was that he was protecting me by protecting himself. The day that he died would be the day that I did as well.

When I woke up, I felt surprisingly warm. What shocked me even more was that Cal wasn't awake yet. How much sleep did a vampire really need? My alarm clock began honking at me like a foghorn and still he didn't wake. I nudged him. Nothing. I jumped up and down on the bed. Nothing.

Eventually I gave up and decided I'd get ready for school. He'd come to in his own time. As I got dressed, I had sort of a revelation. My boyfriend is a vampire. Maybe he knows someone who could help out my almost-brother. It wasn't completely out of the question. The only thing that kept me from doing it was the words that spun through my head. _"I mean it, Evie. You can't tell anyone. Not Cal, not Tara, nobody. I don't want this getting around to Molly."_ If I told him about Cal's secret, would he be more okay with the arrangement? It was for his own good.

I trudged back into my room to find that the vampire in question had finally gotten his lazy butt out of bed. And he'd changed his clothes? "Did you leave and come back just now?"

He nodded. "I figured I'd go home quickly while you were in the bathroom so you wouldn't notice I was gone. We better hurry."

It wasn't until we got to the school that I finally made up my mind. I was going to make sure that Ben didn't find out about me telling Cal until I wanted him to know. We were about to get out of the car when I stopped him from opening the door.

"Can I ask you something? It's important."

"Sure. What is it?"

I blurted it out before I could think about what I was doing. "Ben's a warlock." I peeked through my closed lids to examine his face.

He didn't convey any surprise at all. "That doesn't sound like a question to me. What makes you think that he's a warlock?"

"He was doing a bunch of weird magical things yesterday and he has a lineage of witches in his family. I wanted to know if you knew any witches who could help him control his powers. He's worried that he might accidentally use them again in public and someone will find out about him." It was better just to get everything out right now. I knew I could trust him.

"Actually, I do. Or, at least, I used to. After I turned into a vampire, I ran into a witch not too far from here. She's no longer alive but I believe she has a great, great grandchild who still practices magic. I think her name's Rose Birchwood. That would be her maiden name, anyway."

That was quite lucky. That's the way the cookie crumbles, I suppose. I hastily got of the car and headed for the school. Knowing he was right beside me, I said, "You can't tell him I told you. I want it to come from me. And don't tell anyone else about it either."

"Relax. I'm the last person on Earth who would tell on him. I have my own secret to protect."

I flinched. "Speaking of which, he may find out about that. Not on purpose, but still."

He held me back. "And why is that?" Concern coated his tone.

"Well, he can sort of read minds. That's why he was sitting the driveway last night. It was just another trick to add to his mental pile. He was practically overloading with stress. I'll make sure he doesn't tell anyone, okay? But it would be nice to have someone else who knows about it. I feel like all my friendships are disappearing because of this huge clandestine mass is weighing me down."

"Is that really how you feel?" Now the concern was focused on me.

"Yes. No. I don't know, sort of. It just gets a little tiring. You told me to get more involved with people and school and I can't do that if I can't talk to anybody."

Wonderment filled his expression as he pondered my explanation of my current stand point. "I suppose I understand. But can you keep it to just you and Ben? If anyone else knows, you don't know who they might tell and who might try to exterminate my kind out of here." He said under his breath.

"You have my word." I was beginning to realize how little my word actually meant nowadays. Two promises broken in the same day was certainly my new record.

The moment I stepped into the lunchroom, Ben glowered at me from our table. He could see in my mind that I had betrayed his trust but then his expression faded as he saw that there was more to the story than a simple betrayal.

I sat down beside him and thought about the witch named Rose. _She can help you_, I thought.

"Are you sure?" He whispered.

_We can visit her right after school. I'll have Cal cover for us at play practice._

"How does he know her?"

_I don't really know. All I know is that I'm allowed to tell you this one secret that he and I share but you can't tell anyone else. Okay?_

He nodded.

_Cal Moretti is a vampire._

He eyed me like I was lying. "Are you serious? Don't play with me, Evie. You're on thin ice with me as it is."

_I'm serious._ I pictured the multiple times that Mr. Delancey tried to kill me and compared them to the memories that led me to believe for myself that Cal was truly a vampire.

"Oh," was all he said.

_He said I could tell you but you have to swear on your life that you won't tell anyone else._

His eyes squinted down at the table. "You're still dating him after that?"

I nodded and showed him the conversation that he and I had about how he's an animal eater. _He's a human vegetarian._

Ben still wasn't convinced. "How do you know for sure?" He disputed firmly, eyeing Tara who had just come into the cafeteria.

_Because I trust him and right now you should too. It's only fair since he trusts you with a secret like this. We can't tell Tara any of this. She doesn't need to know about this supernatural hokum._

He nodded once more and took out his lunch.

Cal, Molly and Charlie all came in at about the same time. It was like an announcer had called for all of the boyfriends and girlfriends of our usual tablemates to step forward. The thought was quite entertaining. It grew less entertaining as they all sat down with their lunches, eyeing us questionably.

While Tara and Cal went to play practice, Ben and I were on our way to Buffalo. Cal's definition of "just outside of town" and mine were completely different. I was thinking that it would take fifteen minutes or a half an hour at the most. Apparently "just outside of town" means almost two hours of driving. I had found her address using the internet on my cellphone during English. There was only one Rose Birchwood in the area which made it a whole lot easier to track her down.

As we pulled up to the house, we couldn't believe our eyes.

"Are you sure this is the right address?" Ben asked, staring at the dwelling in front of him.

"I'm positive." While I possessed enough courage in my body, I got out of the truck and sauntered up to the door. The place reeked of creepiness. As I walked up the steps of the porch, each of my movements made them creak. I couldn't make it passed the top step. Scared out of my mind, I turned back at Ben who had only just begun to get out. With a breath of air in my lungs, I spun around and paced the last few feet to the doorbell.

I didn't even have time to press it before the door opened to reveal a woman in her fifties with hair like Shirley Temple. "Can I help you?" She crooned.

"Are you Rose Birchwood?"

"I am. And who might you be?"

"I'm Evie and this is Ben." I replied, gesturing back to my squirrely friend. "We were wondering if you could help us."

She examined the two of us with her catlike hazel eyes and opened the door for us after she saw something. "Come in but be quick."

I held Ben's hand and went in. If I was going to die, he was going to die right behind me. Once she was ahead a ways, I whispered softly to him. "Is she the one we're looking for?"

He nodded. "And somehow she knows that we have knowledge of her world. Otherwise she wouldn't have let us in."

Deep inside the house was the sitting room which consisted of one couch and a rocking chair. Rose seated herself in her chair and watched us closely as we sat on the couch with our legs touching.

"Now, what brings you here? Is it you?" She asked me.

"No. I'm here for him."

She continued to watch our every movement. "I see. And what is it that you need help with, young man?"

"I wanted to know if you could help me control my powers."

"Then you are a warlock. Yes, I can train you." She glanced back at me. "And what about you?"

Did she not hear me the first time? "I'm here to support him. No one else back home knows about who he is."

"No, I mean how did you come to know about vampires?" She pointed to my necklace. "You wear valerian around your neck to keep them away."

"Personal Experience." I replied. We were here for Ben. There was no reason she had to know about Cal as well.

Rose looked over her shoulder and jabbed her finger at the bookshelf behind her. "Go fetch the dark red leatherback book from that top shelf and bring it here."

Ben got up, grabbed it and handed it to her before he sat back down.

"Do you know what this is, Benjamin?" She asked, holding it so that all we could see was the cover. He indicated that he did not after which she continued, "This is a grimoire. It holds all of the spells that a witch or warlock uses throughout their entire life." She held up a hand to the bookshelf. "All of these are grimoires that I've collected over the years. The earliest goes all the way back to the original witch. Once you have successfully gotten a hold of your gift, I want you to start your own." Then she set it aside and brought her chair closer to us until there was only a foot in between. "When did you grow into your powers?"

"Um, last night." He took my hand again and nearly squeezed the blood right out of it.

"Then you're fairly new. What have you discovered so far?"

He thought for a moment. "I accidentally made a piece of rope trip a girl and I can read minds."

She stared curiously at him. "What is your last name?"

"Whitman."

"Ah! That makes sense." Rose got up and plucked another book from the table by the wall. "When I was your age, my mother had a best friend named Pearl O'Neil who later married and became Pearl Whitman. She's the only witch I've ever known who could read minds. She would have wanted you to have this." The book changed hands from her to Ben.

Immediately he flipped it open and glanced at all the different spells. He smiled up at me with a new light. "She really was a witch, Evie. She wasn't crazy."

I smiled back at him. He seemed really happy about it, as if it meant that he wasn't crazy either.

"Now it's time to buckle down," Rose hurried us along. "The first step to get control of your powers is to get control of yourself. When you express a strong emotion, leave magic out of it. You must be able to keep your thoughts free of anger or revenge."

Eagerness was not far from Ben's eye as he attempted to clear his mind.

"Close your eyes."

He did but a moment later he peaked through a tiny slit in one lid. "How do I know when I have control?"

She scowled. "When you have the ability to keep your yap shut for more than a minute at a time." She turned her attention to me with a grimace. "Would you mind waiting in the hall? I have a feeling he might be able to focus better when his girlfriend isn't sitting right next to him."

"I'm not his—"

"She's not my—"

We looked at each other and said at the same time, "We're related."

Rose compared my reddish-brown to his strawberry blonde hair and remained unconvinced.

"We've been friends since birth so it feels like we're family," I clarified.

She waved her hand about. "No matter. Sister or not, you can stand out in the hall until young Benjamin understands the meaning of discipline."

As I got up to exit the room, I glanced back at Ben who seemed at ease. He trusted her now, and that was good enough for me.

From the hallway, I could still hear their bickering. He wasn't making a massive amount of improvement with me gone but it was enough to know that I was a distraction for him. A couple of times, it sounded like someone was getting slapped. Rose seemed like the type of person who was okay with physical reprimands when it was necessary. He was certainly the kind of person who needed an occasional slap in the head to keep on track. The only one who wasn't able to socialize was me. I had to sit out in the hall against the far wall and wait for my dipstick of a best friend to make some progress.

Half an hour passed. An hour. Two hours. Finally, Rose called me back in. There was a smile on her face and a bruise on Ben's when I reentered the sitting area. Both were standing now, regardless.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. "Come and see." A simple invitation to step forward would have sufficed. She set me in front of him and instructed him saying, "Alright, Benjamin. Now, just as we practiced."

He put out his hands, palms to me, and concentrated hard. My pockets jerked about. As I peered down to see what was happening, I saw the contents of my jacket escape me and casually float about the room as if they didn't feel the weight of the Earth's gravitational pull. They bobbed through the air, distancing themselves from me only to return seconds later to their rightful place.

Rose grinned. "You see, I told you. Every time that you need to clear your mind, find a quiet, empty room and practice the anti-gravity spell." She checked her watch. "That should do for now. In order for you to truly progress, I want to see you every Sunday at noon, and not a minute later. And, I want you to take this." Out of thin air, she produced a thick, black-leather book and passed it on to Ben.

"Thanks, Ms. Birchwood." He beamed at the sight of his very own grimoire. I had a feeling he would be filling it sooner rather than later.

"Please," She corrected. "Call me Grandma Rose."

His smile grew ever wider. "I'll see you Sunday, Grandma Rose." As hand-holding had become an okay habit of his, he grasped my hand and walked beside me to the truck.

On the way home, he told me all about what I had missed. Rose had taught him all about certain things he should avoid that would strengthen his powers and tips for using the powers he already had. Ironically enough, some of the stuff that she had discouraged him from doing—such as combining angry feelings with magic—happened to also be what gave him more of an advantage during a spell cast. I was majorly confused but he seemed to understand it which was more than I needed. It struck me then that my friends and acquaintances were creeping towards the supernatural side all on their own, leaving me behind on the "only one who's human" side. If I had to deal with another crossover, they might as well get team jackets for their exclusive club I wasn't invited to.

"Do you really think you're going to travel all the way to Buffalo every week?" I asked.

"Absolutely. Today, she really made me feel better about my condition. Magic was starting to feel like a disease but now it's more of a…"

"Gift?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, sort of. Its use is endless. Next week she says I have to learn some of the history behind magic before she'll go into the cool parts. She says it's the only way she'll train me because there's a lot of rules or something." _Or something?_ Rules were exactly what he needed. I didn't want my best friend getting a big head over some newly found powers of his. Who knows what could happen should he choose to use them for—excuse the cliché—evil.

"Do you still want me to come with you?"

"Nah, I'll be okay. The whole time we were in there, she was thinking about my potential. She's actually pretty nice, minus the brutal beatings she dishes out for getting stuff wrong." He instinctively rubbed his melon head as he spoke.

A villainous grin tickled my lips. "And you deserved every last one of them." For your information, it's a bad idea to taunt the driver.

The famous claw threatened to tickle my stomach. "Don't make me us it." He warned with an evil laugh.

I squealed as he skipped the foreplay and went straight to torturing my belly with aching, laughter, and tears. "Stop! Stop it!" I cried through my outbursts.

He didn't have any trouble keeping his eyes on the road while he berated me with his mercilessness. "Take it back!"

"Never!"

"Take it back!" He repeated.

I was on the brink of wetting his front seat. "Alright," I caved. "I take it back!"

He grinned, victorious.

If Grandma Rose could see us now, she never would have guessed that we were anything but brother and sister. Since we were kids, all he's ever done is joke around with me and play the role of the older brother that I never had. On more than one occasion, he stood up for me when no one else would. When that didn't work, he'd beat the person up until the culprit could no longer stand. Usually, they were guys because Ben would never hit a girl, but there were plenty of times when he wanted to. Ben was the reason that, if I ever had children, I would have wanted the first to be a boy so that he could take care of his younger siblings like he did for me.

Ben and I rolled in around nine o'clock. He switched off the engine and glimpsed at me. "The warden's inside. He's not too happy with me at the moment. Do you still think he's gonna keep my secret?"

"Yes I do, and not just because he's listening to our every word. He's got a secret of his own and he wouldn't want you to spill the beans. There would be no point in telling someone yours." I gave him a hug and opened up the door to get out.

As I tried to leave, Ben laid his hand on mine. "I had fun today, Evie. It made me think of the old days, before we got caught up in all of this teenage love business."

I smiled. "I had fun, too. I'll see you tomorrow, Ben."

"See ya."

I swung the door shut and went inside, prepared to take whatever Cal was about to serve me, good or bad. I didn't even make it past the threshold.

"You're home late." He said in his parental voice.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't realize I'd gone past my curfew. Please don't ground me."

"Evie, please don't start with that. You know I get worried easily and you never texted me or anything to check in to tell me you were okay. I'm not trying to be clingy but it's for your safety."

Full of arrogant, teenage rage, I slumped past him and ascended the stairs. "Yeah, yeah. It's for my own safety. I got it." I loved him a ton, I really did, but he needed to stop treating me like his daughter and start treating me like his girlfriend. It occurred to me, as I slammed the door to my room shut, that he was old enough to be my great, great grandfather in reality. He may have looked eighteen but on the inside he was an old man full of old school values and butt loads of human experiences. I was dating a vampire.


	6. Crazed

Chapter Six:

Crazed

* * *

Another day, another charade. I was going down the rabbit hole and, by now, there was no turning back. Since the night before last, it felt like Cal and I were slowly growing apart; like he wasn't telling me something important. Not only that but as I was growing closer to Ben again, I was furthering myself from Cal. It was like I was sitting in the middle of a game of tug-o-war and they were pulling me back and forth between the two of them. I couldn't be shared, only claimed.

Going through another day of school was horrendous. I wanted to go to sleep and forget about everything that had occurred since Cal Moretti came to town. I wanted to disappear into the great unknown and suddenly wake up to realize it was all a dream; anything to solve the aching of my heart. The cafeteria, a place that once meant unity, now meant utter awkwardness. I couldn't look at one of them without the other glaring at his frenemy. They were bound to be close as long as it didn't interfere with their hatred for one another. They couldn't be too far without having to fear that the other would reveal to the world their darkest secret. Yes, my best friend the warlock and my boyfriend the vampire were in a feud not over my affections but for my attention. It was like second grade all over again.

Thursdays after school were when the teachers had their weekly staff meetings so no one had to go to play practice that night. However, we were expected to work twice as hard on our own. Anyway, it meant I was free from any obligations that rooted from my agreement with Cal. I had to meet with someone.

I pounded on the door, alone and soaking wet from walking to the house in the pouring rain. My patience was all but nonexistent.

The door released itself from its bolts and revealed the Cheshire cat of the vampire world. "What an unexpected surprise! It's Evie Richards!" Damon cooed with delight. He pretended to look around behind me. "Where's your hideous pet labra-doodle?"

"Cal went for a hike in the woods."

"Ah," he purred. "Off catching bunny rabbits, I see. Come on in. You look awful."

With a hint of regret, I went into the Moretti house.

Damon spun around and put his finger to his lips. "I'm gonna have to ask you to take off your clothes."

"Excuse me?"

"Your clothes. They're wet and I'm not about to pay for some random guy to come in and replace my antique hardwood floors. Come on," He pointed his thumb at the staircase. "I think you still have some of your emergency clothes up in Cal's room. I promise to try not to look."

I took one step before he scooped me up and flew me up the stairs. When he put me down, I turned to glare at him.

"Hey, I told you. Don't want to mess up the floors. Or the carpet, for that matter." He opened the door and gestured with his arm for me to enter.

The man was getting on my nerves in the five seconds that I had been in the house and yet I still felt like I had nowhere else to turn. Had it only been about guy trouble, I would have gone to Tara. I wouldn't have to tell her that her friends were supernatural beings with magical powers and an undying thirst for bunny blood. Damon was the only person who was unbiased—for the most part—and had at least the basic knowledge of vampires and all that stuff.

My knapsack full of emergency clothes was stashed underneath Cal's bed for space reasons. I put it there myself just so that I would know where it was. Plus, I didn't want to throw off the décor. For a house that had always been run by guys, it looked very tasteful and pristine. They must have had a maid cleaning in there because every surface I could see was untouched by dust or grime. It was picture perfect.

After I retrieved my bag, I took an additional measure and locked myself in the bathroom to make sure I was really alone when I changed. Sadly, all I had was a pair of pajamas but for the time being it would have to do. Once I put my spare clothes on, it was time to get some real answers.

I unlatched the bathroom door and let my bag of wet clothes fall to the floor.

Like he was called, he appeared on Cal's bed, his arms folded behind his head on the pillow. "I didn't realize we were having a slumber party. I should have slipped into my pajamas. I hope you don't mind; I prefer to sleep naked."

I sat down on the floor where I stood and crossed my legs into a Native American style sitting position. "I want you to tell me what happened to Guinevere. Don't leave anything out." He may have taunted his brother with this as a joke but it could be the answer to all of my personal questions and dilemmas.

"Woo-ee," he whistled. "To tell you what happened to her, I'd have to take you through the whole nine yards. You ready to sit down that long? Perhaps you'd like to get more comfortable." He teased. If I were a psychologist, I'd guess that he made all of those dirty jokes and innuendos because he was constantly searching for attention.

My head bobbed up and down. No need to start swearing at my host.

He wriggled a little back and forth. Then he got to the part that I was waiting for. "It was the month of June of the year 1800. Bonaparte had just struck up a battle with Austria within the boundaries of Italy and some of the citizens were getting antsy. That's when a boatload of Italians decided to escape to America while they still had an opportunity to escape. They figured that it would be safer here in the long run.

"Many of the French immigrants came to Wolfcrest. It was a cute little town back then, just barely founded. Amongst those new settlers was the Del Lenora family. Signore Del Lenora and his wife had come with the few possessions that they had and their young daughter, Guinevere. She was barely seventeen when they completed their voyage." He glanced at me. "You remind me of her a little bit.

"Anyway, our town wasn't equipped to house all of these people and many of the founding families offered to share their homes; for a small fee, of course. My father, Torvald Moretti, was always the talk of the town. Rumors would go around that he had taken advantage of one innocent woman or another. Innocent as I was still at the age of twenty-two, I believed them all to be false. This ignorance was quickly remedied one night after Cal and I had come home from a dance not long after Guinn and the others had arrived. Cal had gone with his girlfriend Marissa Blake and I went with my love. As he usually did, Cal went off to enjoy the splendors of a woman's company while I took Guinn home in the carriage." Pensive eyes stared off into space as he reminisced in the memories of his former life.

I wasn't quite getting how this rant of his connected with Guinn's death but I was patient. This was the most amount of emotion that I'd ever seen Damon Moretti express; other than snarkiness and sarcasm, of course. I was more than eager to hear about his past, no matter how embellished his history lesson was.

"After I had kissed Guinn's delicate hand goodnight, I headed for my father's study to steal one of his expensive cigars. When I arrived, the door was closed and locked. Torvald was not a distrusting man; strict, yes, but he always left his door unlocked unless he was inside and he didn't want to be disturbed. I peeked through the keyhole to see what was so important and I saw him…" He closed his eyes tight. "He was with another woman. I knew it wasn't my mother because she was out with her friends playing one last game of cards—just a friendly game, nothing addictive or anything like that. She also had a very distinguishing olive skin. The woman in his arms was white, skin like smooth porcelain.

"The morning afterward, our household was sitting down to breakfast as always. It was then that I noticed two distinct marks on his neck. Vampires back then were less than fairytales. Everyone knew what they were and that they existed. I knew my father's mistress was a vampire.

"For the first time, I didn't know what to do. I ended up going to my brother but, as usual, he didn't care. He was too busy trying to pursue Miss McMillan, our neighbor. I feared that she was compelling my father, still innocent of my father's cheating nature, and therefore the only solution was to kill her. I waited until nighttime with a stake in one hand and a bottle of liquid valerian in the other. As she snuck out of the room, she heard my heartbeat and hunted me down in my hiding place. She didn't appreciate being ambushed.

"'Young Damon,' she called with a devilish smile. 'Did you truly expect to be successful all on your own? Shame on you.' She approached me and twisted the stake out of my hand.

A grin crossed his cheeks. "Cerebella was her name. I can still remember the look on her face when I spilled the entire bottle of valerian juice on her skin. She sizzled and burned, giving me a good five minute head start. On my way out the door, I collided with Cal who was drunk and completely delirious. He didn't understand the gravity of the situation and we ended up getting tied up and stored in our family mausoleum for a couple of days. Like I said, she didn't like being attacked so she compelled us to be her slaves."

"Wait," I interrupted, head spinning. "How do you know that she compelled you? Wouldn't you have forgotten or something?" That's at least what I thought happened at the time.

He didn't appreciate my interjection. "Once a person is turned, they remember all of the tricks that were played on them as a human. It's like the mortal veil is lifted and we can suddenly see our memories more clearly. Although, this time I had been drinking valerian and her powers had no hold over me. I pretended to be under her control, doing everything she said." A tear entered his eye. "I even had to push Guinevere away in case Cerebella tried to make me do something to her. I couldn't let her get hurt. That's why she sought my brother's company. She didn't understand what I was trying to do for her and he didn't think twice about what was best for her. All he thought about was himself. Every moment that he wasn't spending with Cerebella as her personal butler, he was with her.

"Months passed and eventually it got to the point where I couldn't take it any longer. The New Year had already come and it was well into February. The second annual Valentine's Day yule ball was coming up. Cal had already asked Guinevere to accompany him and everything was set. I was to attend as well with Cerebella. The ballroom was filled with red. That's why no one noticed when Cerebella took the occasional victim behind the punch bowl for a drink, if you know what I mean. It gave me the perfect opportunity to get rid of her.

"It didn't take her long to figure out what had happened and why I wasn't following orders. I woke up with my brother, both of us chained to a tree that overlooked the street outside of the town hall. Not long after I had awakened, my parents exited the building with the same youthful spirit as they usually had when they were with each other. A moment later they were shot down by a band of British soldiers that was camped out in the area. They were just another group of Cerebella's slaves.

"Anger went through Cal and he broke through the chains that bound us there. Before either of us had time to be amazed at the recognizable differences our bodies had possessed within the last hour, he disappeared into the night. I followed after him with inhuman speed and stopped when I saw what he was about to do.

"His hand grasped Guinevere's neck as he held her over the high bridge that crossed the stony creek bed. 'You did this,' he shouted at me. 'I'm holding you personally responsible for my parents' lives.' And with that, he snapped her neck and drank until he was complete, a new vampire." He sniffed back the tears as if it was due to an allergy and sat up in his spot. "That good enough for you, doll?"

I shook my head, more confused and irate as ever. "No, I don't believe you. Cal doesn't drink human blood."

"Sorry, gorgeous, but the only way for a vampire to finish the transformation is to drink human blood. There aren't any shortcuts. It's the person's choice to become what they are. If they don't drink before the sire's vampire blood leaves their system, they die off. You should have seen Cal before his bunny phase. He used to tear people apart, eat half of a town's population before everyone else realized there was a mass murderer on the loose."

I kept shaking. "You're lying."

He flashed to my side. "No, Evie. I'm not. And if you can't accept Cal for who he really is you're better off alone."

"No!" I burst out of the room with a scream, raced down the stairs and out the front door. I got in my car and drove until the Moretti estate wasn't even a speck in my rearview mirror. What could he mean Cal used to be a murderer? Not my Cal. Not the man who freaked out when I was out late without him. Not the man who constantly worried about my safety and would stop at nothing to protect me. That wasn't possible. This was just some sick, twisted idea that Damon came up with to get me to break up with his brother. He didn't care about my desire to know the truth. He barely even knew the truth himself and he wasn't about to tell it to anyone else.

Knowing my house wasn't safe from him, I went to Ben's house instead and ran inside.

Ben was downstairs, a grilled cheese sandwich hanging out of his mouth, as I entered. He saw the tears running down my face and came to the rescue like the superhero he was. He set the sandwich down on the stairs on top of a napkin and cradled me in his arms. "Evie, what's wrong?" Brotherly alarm was boiling over in his every word.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know where else to go. It's not safe." I blubbered.

"What's not safe?"

"Anywhere. Nowhere is safe while he's here."

He rubbed my back soothingly. "I don't understand. What happened?" He asked again.

"I went to Cal's house to see his brother Damon to ask him for advice because I had nowhere else to go and I thought it was a good idea because he knows all about magic and vampires because he is one but all he did was lie to me. He told me terrible lies about things that I know Cal would never do. I can't go home because Damon would be able to get in but here is safe." My monologue seemed interminable. I tried to get everything out all at once before I broke down into more endless tears and sobbing.

Ben held me close as he led me up to his room and sat me down on the edge of the bed. "It's okay. Everything is going to be okay. Damon can't hurt you here," He soothed.

My chest shook in miserable fits as I tried to breathe through my cries. "I'm so sorry." My weeping made my words all but intelligible.

"It's fine. You don't need to apologize." He bit his lip and glanced at the clock. "Would you be okay here if I left for a little while? Molly and I are going to catch a movie tonight. I'm supposed to pick her up in fifteen minutes."

I nodded and wiped away my tears with the back of my sleeve. "Yeah, of course. I'll be fine."

He examined me carefully. "Are you sure?"

"Yup." I put on my best smile and patted his comforting hand. "You go have fun. I'll get a leg up on my homework or something. Mr. Ornelas would kill me if I showed up at rehearsal tomorrow and forgot all of my lines."

He gave me one last squeeze and stood up, peeking back at me before he left the room. I had a feeling he'd had a glimpse into my thoughts and knew I was lying but decided to leave anyway. He knew I wanted to be alone for a while and was willing to let it be to give me time.

My mind wandered, picturing the nonsense that Damon had spouted out to me. I could see the dark, dirt road parallel to the town hall and the tree the two brothers had been chained up to. I saw the soldiers line up in their minutemen uniforms holding their large rifles in synchronization. Shots rang out and Torvald and Rosalinda Moretti fell to the ground. I saw the frightened girl, clinging onto life as the blood was drained from her neck. The picture became more detailed in my mind and I could see the girl's face. It was my face. I was the one dangling above a two story drop and it was me whose neck got snapped and drunk from.

I jolted upward and took in my surroundings. I was back in Ben's room. Time had certainly passed since I was conscious. What had been a golden light in the sky was now a hollow darkness. Ben hadn't gotten home yet from his date with Molly and I was alone again.

Frazzled, I ran through the dance steps to the first three numbers to work off some of the adrenaline that was rushing through my veins. Ben's room wasn't exactly spacious but I made do with what I was given. I gave myself over to the rhythm in my head and pranced around like a flowery fairy.

That's why he stared at me as he walked up to the second floor. "Um… what are you doing?"

I didn't expect him to be standing there and I tripped over my foot and hit the floor hard. "Sorry, I was just clearing my mind. I figured I might put my time to good use." When I stood, I dusted off the tiny specs of dirt on my pajama pants. "How was your date?"

He shrugged. "Same old, same old I suppose. We go out almost every weekend and now she has me taking her out on school nights."

It sounded like we both needed a break from reality. "Want to practice your spells on me?"

He grinned and shut the door. "I've been teaching myself a couple that I can show Grandma Rose the next time I go visit her." He spread his arms out wide and let his palms face the heavens. "Soro accunum stupendium neromontice fararum incendium." A blue flame appeared hovering above his hands, flickering with a presence of majesty.

"Whoa," I uttered in awe. "Is that Latin?"

"It's the language of the gift. It was created long ago with the first witch, Sariah. Any witch or warlock knows the meaning of the words from the day they get their powers. It's only sort of a language, really. None of the words actually translate into English. It's more of a dialect based on feelings and emotions. I say things but I don't really know what I'm saying. The words just come out as I think about what I'm trying to do. Watch this one." He closed his palms and smothered the fire. Then he released it into the air and they danced around the room as butterflies. One landed on my nose before it flew away to join its friends in the magical, blue flight.

"That's so cool!" Butterflies were my favorite. They were always so delicate and beautiful. To me, they were the symbol of life. Before my mother had died, she had bought me a glass orb with a lovely little Eastern-Tailed Blue trapped in the center to be preserved forever. She was going to give it to me for my sixth birthday. I continued to watch the deep blue butterflies flutter over our heads.

Practice time ended when my phone sang the semi-bothersome show tune. Cal was calling. I grabbed it off the bed and stared down at it without answering. There was a small chance that all of those things Damon was saying were true. If they were true, I wasn't about to talk to him. What would I say? Instead, I let it ring until it went to voicemail.

Ben waved his hands around and the butterflies faded away. "Who was that?" He asked as he came to my side.

"Cal."

That's all I had to say. "Do you want to spend the night?"

My face wrinkled. "Do you think your parents would mind?" Aunt Fauna wouldn't.

"No, they're taking some of their vacation time to go on a skiing trip for two up in Canada. They won't be back until late Sunday night." He looked down at my pajamas. "And you're clearly dressed for it. I'll go make up the guest room for you. You can go ahead and relax here if you want."

"Thanks, Ben." Big brother, what did I tell you?

"No problem. That's what I'm here for."

While he was putting sheets on the bed, I went downstairs in the man cave down in the basement. Mr. Whitman, Ben and I used to spend all of our time down there, playing billiards, video games or watching football when Mrs. Whitman wanted to watch her TV show on the television in the living room. She would always complain because you could hear us cheering when our team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, got a touchdown throughout the entire house. I sat down in one of the humungous beanbag chairs and turned on the TV. Mr. Whitman had probably checked the weather report before he left because the news was still on instead of ESPN. I went to change it but then I saw it.

"The fire department arrived on the scene to put out the fire. Unfortunately, they were too late. There were at least a dozen victims when the police went in to investigate. Johnny Ingram is on scene. Over to you, Johnny."

"Thanks, Donna. I'm here at the residence of Sherman McCormick where this elegit crime took place. The police believe that there was an underage drinking party that took place in the basement of Mr. McCormick's home. Mr. McCormick and Mrs. McCormick were not home to witness the accident take place, but Head Detective Waters has considered that the fire was caused by a drunken teenager who meant to light a cigarette when he or she dropped a lit match and set the carpet ablaze. Fifteen bodies have been brought up from the ashes so far. All of the victims sustained major blood loss from the neck. This very well could have been a robbery gone wrong but no one knows for sure as of yet. Back to you, Donna."

"BEN!" I screamed. It was him. I knew it was him. Cal had told me what he had done to those poor people in that inconclusive car accident. He had killed them and fed from them like an animal and he had done the same to these teenagers. They had invited him in only for him to feed off their miserable, wrangled bodies a moment later. He was a monster.

"Evie!" Ben rushed downstairs and saw me staring wide-eyed at the television. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"He did it again." I whispered, voice cracking.

He shook his head. It was the only part of his body that moved when he heard my words. "I don't understand. Who did what again?"

"Damon. He fed."

Ben glanced at the TV where they continued to discuss the accident in great detail, bumping around possible theories and for instances to entertain people about something that was more serious than they could ever comprehend.

My phone buzzed again and I held it up so I could see the number. It was a blocked caller. Regardless, I knew who it was. I pressed the speaker phone button and let him explain himself. "Damon, what did you do?" My voice was harsh, filled with betrayal. He had betrayed my trust. He had been my friend for a moment and had taken that away from me the next.

"Half past ten, they lie in wait to come back home; they congregate. Their families now will never rest, for I am he who took their last breathe. On four wheels, their bus did ride, but from me they could not hide." His voice was sinister and rough; wild. "Don't let them down, Evie. They're counting on you." Then he hung up and left me to boil.

"What does that mean, Evie?" Ben seemed even more worried about Damon's little rant than I did.

I dropped my phone and let my head fall in my hands. _I don't know! Why is he doing this to me? Killing people? Did I drive him off the edge? I wasn't trying to help him or change him. Why is he tormenting me? To anger his brother?_ The light-bulb went off as I remembered Tara's little sister Niecey. Her and her classmates were coming back from their fourth grade fieldtrip late tonight after a long day at the Seneca Park Zoo. It was so far away that they had to make it an all-day activity. Tara had told me sometime during lunch when I wasn't really paying attention. Niecey was expected to be home sometime around ten-thirty.

I abruptly got to my feet and marched up the stairs, Ben close on my heels.

"What are you going to do?" He asked as he tried to keep up with me.

"I'm stopping him before he kills anyone else."

That threw him off and he raced in front of me to block my only way out. "You can't go. He'll kill you."

"No he won't. Not if I kill him first." I pushed my way past him and headed for my car.

"Then I'm coming with you."

I got in and grabbed the stake out of my glove compartment.

Ben was putting on his seatbelt and he was taken aback by the swiftness of my movements. "Where did you get that?"

Snickers bubbled up to my throat as I found a new determination to do what had to be done. "When you're boyfriend's a vampire, you have to be prepared for every possibility." Honestly, I'm pretty sure Cal had put it there but I sounded more intelligent when I put it the other way.

We started our search from the school where all of the parents were casually waiting for their children to return. They didn't know what had happened, unless it hadn't happened yet. Then we made our way down the path that the driver would have gone to take them back to the school. It was about a quarter after ten now. They shouldn't be far.

Sure enough, there it was, big and yellow and full of innocent children who were all asleep inside. The driver was nowhere to be seen, at first. For some reason I had the feeling that I should look up, so I did. There he was, dangling from a tree with blood spilling down his throat, his chest, covering his gray uniform in glittering red. I was glad that the kids were unconscious. The sight of this would have driven them into a state of shock that they could have never recovered from.

Mechanically, I got out of the SUV and paraded out into the street with my hand clenched tightly around the wooden stake.

A chuckle echoed from the trees. "Oh, how young and naïve you are, Evie. You think you can kill me with your wooden toys." The voice suddenly whooshed over to my ear and I could feel his breath on the nape of my neck. "No one can kill me, especially not you." He flashed in front of me and I could see his deformed face, the face of evil. He hunched over, set to charge when he began floating up into the air.

I looked back and saw Ben, hands out, face wrinkled in concentration.

"Evie, go check on the kids," he called over to me without removing his eyes from the hell-bent vampire.

The door of the bus was open which made it easy for me to get inside. As I had guessed, not a single child was awake. All of them were peacefully resting. Some were even slumped in their seats or leaning on their neighbor for support. They looked absolutely angelic. I sat down in the driver's seat that jiggled as the engine had not been shut off. I glanced around at the controls and knew right away that it was somewhat complicated. Not wanting to risk the lives of the precious cargo, I grabbed the radio that sat on top of the dashboard and whispered into it.

"We got a problem," I began in my best man voice. "I need immediate assistance. The bus is parked off the exit ramp for route 90 headed for Wolfcrest. Send backup." I immediately shut it off to avoid waking up the kids and hearing what I expected to be a confused radio control person.

I tiptoed out of the bus to see what was going on outside.

"Evie?" Cal saw me exit the bus. He was wrapping chains around his brother's unconscious body. Furious, he turned to Ben. "Why did you let her leave the house?"

"I tried to stop her but she wouldn't listen to me." Ben defended himself.

"You knew I was with Ben?" I looked at Ben, also angry with him. "And you knew he knew?"

"Not you too." He groaned. "Yes, I accidentally let her come. And yes, I texted Cal to tell him you were with me so that he could go track Damon and deal with it. But right now isn't really the time to worry about either of those things."

Cal put a padlock on the last metal link and rubbed his hands together. "He's right. We got to store him away and let him dry out before he harms anyone else. You two can take him to my house." He tossed Ben the keys. "Lock him up in the cellar and if he wakes up, don't believe a word he says. He'll just be trying to get out and he'll do whatever it takes to do it. Then take Evie back to your house. She'll be the safest there until I get back to deal with Damon. Don't let her aunt know about what happened but don't leave her without some sort of an excuse. I'll take care of the body and take the kids to the school."

I was about to tell him that I'd called for a driver but then I realized it might be better if Cal took care of it. With all of my strength and Ben's combined, we hauled Damon's limp form into the trunk and slammed the door shut. Another good deed done against the rule of vampires.

Ben took over as driver and brought us to the Moretti estate. We grunted and complained as we brought the heavy load into the basement. I had never gone into the basement and I didn't really want to be down there ever again. It reeked of old man smell mixed with rotting corpse smell and herbs. Once down the stairs, there was only one other door in the tight space that led into a cell of sorts. The walls were made of solid bricks of rock but there was a tiny rectangle of a hole in the thick wooden door with vertical metal bars that prevented even the skinniest of people from sticking their head through the slot. We plopped the sack of potatoes onto a bed of straw and quickly latched the door behind us.

As we walked back up the stairs, into the car and to his house, we were silent. It wasn't until after I called my aunt and we were getting ready to go to sleep that I said anything.

"Thanks for your help. I know you did this for me and I'm grateful that you would set your differences aside and tell Cal about what happened with Damon. You're a great friend."

He finished brushing his teeth and spit into the sink. "I knew you'd rather deal with Cal than let all those kids suffer at the hands of his brother. I wouldn't have done it otherwise. Now go get some sleep. You'll want to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for school tomorrow and I'm not about to get in trouble with Aunt Fauna because you missed a day of school on my watch." He smiled as he said the last few words.

I smiled back at him. "Goodnight Benny."

"Goodnight, Evie." He gave me a hug and let me head off to bed while he rinsed out his mouth. I had one of the best friends that anyone could ever have.

I lay down in the soft, queen-sized bed in the guest room down the hall from Ben's room. Thinking was the only thing I could really do. How could I not trust my boyfriend to come through for me? I should have been the one to call him for help when I needed it most. I should have told him what had happened with Damon and been honest with him. Instead, I had avoided him and thought badly about him. Damon was trying to separate us.

I wasn't about to let him have the satisfaction of being successful. I grabbed my phone and dialed Cal's phone number, eager to hear his voice and seek his forgiveness.

"Evie? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry about today. I should have trusted you."

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault. Damon was just getting into your head like he always does. You couldn't help but question if what he said was true or not."

A grin lit up my face. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Sweet dreams, Evie."

"Sweet dreams." I hung up and fell asleep almost instantly, all forms of guilt released from recognition.


	7. The Secret Mountain

Chapter Seven:

The Secret Mountain

* * *

Through the night, I realized that while I still loved him, it didn't mean that I wasn't worried about the potential damage he could do. No matter what he said to me, he was built for deceit and destruction and that was something that couldn't be ignored. I trusted him with my life. I knew he could never hurt me but there were about four thousand other people that he might. The feeling that came with this new awareness made me less… friendly towards him. While I held his hand, I wasn't as upbeat and cheerful about our relationship and the public display of affection that came with it.

Rehearsal time came around as it always did. At three o'clock on the dot we began our nonstop journey to perfection. Kurt Gimbly and I were practicing our lines for one of the scenes in the first half. He plays Juliet's current boyfriend, Paris, who remains her boyfriend throughout the entire play because she's trying to fool her parents into thinking that nothing has changed. It was during this time that I caught Cal peeking in my direction every ten seconds. After the first hour, he came to me and took me aside

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked.

"For a vampire, you seem very self-conscious." I wasn't in the best of moods.

He blocked the door so I couldn't get out of the auditorium. "Evie, will you at least talk to me about it? You're being unreasonable."

I sighed and crossed my arms.

"Thank you. I wanted to know if you would join me on a little weekend vacation. Ben, Tara, Molly and Charlie are going up to the mountains and they wanted to know if we wanted to tag along."

_I knew that,_ I scoffed in my head. _Just because I'm mentally picturing you eating various people doesn't mean I don't listen to the conversations around me._ The timing might be right. I could clear my head at high altitudes. "When do we leave?" I questioned in a much sweeter tone.

He looked at me appraisingly and replied, "In about five minutes. Ben's got everything we need in the back of his truck. If you hurry, we can still catch a spot in Charlie's car." He checked his watch to double check.

I followed him out to the parking lot where we met up with Charlie.

"Hey, Evie," greeted Charlie. "Haven't seen you conscious in a while. How've you been?"

Cal frantically motioned for him to cut it.

"Uh… Never mind. Go ahead and get in the back. We can stop at your house to pick up anything you need."

"It's all good," Cal said for me. "I have everything in the trunk of my car. I'll go get it." He stole a kiss and ran off to get our bags before I changed my mind.

Reluctance swept over me as I got in Charlie's SUV. There were five seats—technically six but only if you squeezed the sixth person in the front in between the driver and the other passenger—and plenty of trunk space, enough to take four gigantic tubs of camping supplies with extra room left over for an actual tub or maybe a submarine. I put on my seat belt and stared at the back of Tara's seat, dreading the talk that I knew was going to happen as soon as Cal and I were alone again. I ignored him when he slid in next to me and when he put his arm around me. For the next three hours that it took to get to the Black Hills, he was invisible to me.

While I wasn't looking at him, I had to look straight forward or else I would see the face, the smile that would make me forget and I wasn't about to let myself forget. What I saw instead was Charlie and Tara holding hands as he drove down the highway. I had never realized how cute of a couple they really were. As usual, I'd been too wound up in my own emotions to care about anything else. Charlie Wright was a sweet guy, tall with abs of steel, and smart but not a genius. He looked like a young Denzel Washington. Tara was very emotional to the point that sometimes I thought she had her own language and he was one of the only people who could understand it. The linebacker and the dancer were a perfect match. When he first asked her out, we used to say that he was her Mr. Wright but I don't think we realized how true that statement might be.

With all this adorableness aside, the drive there seemed endless. Cal wouldn't take his eyes off me and I had to force myself not to look into them. It wasn't the right time for explanations. Troubled, I shut my eyes and listened to the music coming from the speakers, pushing the pictures of Cal the ripper out of my mind. Damon couldn't be right. That's why he was in a cell. He needed to be behind bars.

When the car came to a halt, I peered out my window and saw that we were at the base of the mountain. Nothing else surrounded us but trees, dirt, and rocks. The four of us jumped out and stood around the trunk to suit up. The sun was almost along the horizon.

"Grab what you can carry," Charlie instructed. "We have a bit of a hike ahead of us so pack as much as you can but also remember to pack light."

"When you say 'a bit,' how long of a hike do you say we're looking at exactly?" "A bit" was too general of a term for me.

He tossed his head back and forth, staring at the mountain in a calculating pose. "I'd say about an hour, depending on how quickly we walk. It's gonna be kind of dark in there and that will definitely be a factor."

"Right…"

We broke into the tubs of supplies and grabbed one of everything: a radio, a headlamp, extra batteries, waterproof containers, trail mix, granola bars, water, an emergency blanket, a basic first aid kit, and a whistle. Someone amongst us was certainly a pro-hiker and it sure as heck wasn't me. As soon as we were all strapped up and ready to go, Charlie locked up the car and we headed for the top of the mountain.

The Black Hills were the few mountains that stood at the foot of the more respectable mountains of the Adirondacks. I'm pretty sure only we Wolfcrestors call them that. The smallest of the bunch, the one we were climbing up that day, was about five hundred and twenty meters high. Even though it wasn't that big, you could still see clear over the forest below and gaze at all of the lights of the closest town not two miles away.

The actual hiking portion of the journey to our campsite was spooky. Our headlamps gave off only enough light to see where we were putting our feet and I could hear the sounds of the animals around us, watching. A couple of times, I thought I heard a chuckle but when I asked what was so funny, everyone else thought I was crazy, claiming that they hadn't said anything.

"Where are Ben and Molly?" I asked, realizing that they were missing from our group.

Cal took the liberty of answering this question for me. "They went up ahead of us with the truck and all of our real supplies. Ben thought it would be better if he set up the tents and stuff ahead of time before nightfall. They've been up there since the moment school was over."

"Oh," I breathed. That made sense. It would be a little hard setting up a bunch of tents in the dark.

As promised, an hour later we made it to our campsite. Ben was just putting the finishing touches on a campfire while Molly was mixing up some grub on a propane camping grill.

"Anyone for a hamburger?" Molly called to us with an angelic smile. Her blonde hair was braided into two separate ponytails and she was wearing one of Ben's long-sleeved flannel shirts and a pair of jeans, the perfect picture of the outdoor experience.

Tara panted all the way to a camping chair. "Make mine a cheeseburger, please." She heaved, her light brown curls falling behind the back of the chair as she leaned her head with ease.

Charlie agreed.

I flopped down into the chair beside her. "I'll take a billion." For the life of me, I couldn't understand why I was so hungry. Most of the stuff I was carrying was the bare essentials and an extra water bottle. Cal's the one who carried all the heavier items like our clothes and extra shoes. Compared to him, I had it easy.

"One billion cheeseburgers coming right up." She gracefully placed a slice of cheese on each of the patties and watched them melt into the meat.

The sound of approaching feet and light giggling crept toward us and who should appear but our friendly neighborhood villain, Sir Stupid-head Damon the Third and Prissy Pants Kristen Clements. Kristen was giggling about some lame joke her new strip tease had whispered in her ear. Damon was carrying a stack of wood with that stupid, charming grin on his face. I looked around the camp and noticed that there were in fact four tents. They were invited.

"We're back!" Kristen squealed.

Damon unloaded his armful on the ground beside the fire pit and brushed the bits of bark and dirt off his clothes. Then he stuck the hatchet that was tucked in his jeans into one of the logs. "Sorry it took so long. It was hard finding a tree that had fallen over around here. These trees are sturdy as hell." He directed his smile at me. "Evie, long time no see."

I was fuming. The one thing that I was absolutely sure about was that he was locked up in the Moretti's basement with no way to escape. If there was no way to escape, how did he escape? I glanced over at Cal and he didn't look surprised. Was he keeping his composure for the others? "Yeah," I finally responded. "It's been a while."

Kristen didn't look so pleased. "You know Evie?" She almost sounded jealous.

"Absolutely. Evie and I go way back, don't we, Evie?"

_If you call a month "way back."_ But for the sake of pissing off Kristen, I replied with a nod, "Way back." It got the response I wanted: a scoff and then complete denial of both my nonexistent bond with her boyfriend and my entire existence.

Charlie was almost as confused as I was. "I'm sorry, who are you?" He asked in a way that was polite, something that he didn't deserve.

"How rude of me." He offered his hand. "Damon Moretti. I'm Kristen's boyfriend."

Ben stepped forward and decided this would be the best time for introductions. "This is Charlie Wright and his girlfriend Tara Healy. Damon and I bumped into each other earlier today and he didn't have any plans for this weekend so I invited him to bring a date. Don't worry; I made sure I brought more than enough supplies for everyone."

Tara was still confused. "Moretti? As in Cal Moretti?" That's Tara, putting together those big puzzle pieces all by herself.

Damon wrapped his arm around Cal's shoulders. "Yup. Cal's my little brother. I taught him everything he knows."

_In your dreams_, I hissed at him mentally. What I wouldn't give to have some special supernatural power of my own to psychically beat him up with!

There was more friendly banter as we feasted on cheeseburgers and Doritos. The entire time they were talking, I was the only one that remained silent. I was too busy glaring at Damon and Ben simultaneously. I couldn't believe that Ben would invite him and still look so casual about it. We had both seen his criminal handiwork and it wasn't exactly something that anyone could dismiss.

After a couple of s'mores and a diet Coke later, I was ready to go to sleep. I threw my can of soda in the recycling bag, grabbed my stuff, and headed for the tents. "I think I'm gonna turn in for the night. Which one's mine?"

Ben gestured to the tent behind all of the other tents. "You and Cal get that one back there." He peered over my shoulder at him. "If everyone's done eating for tonight, Cal and I should go hang up our food."

Cal looked around at everyone's faces and waited for an affirmation before he got up. "I'll go get the bear bag." He stepped over the tree bench and headed for the shelter that Molly had been cooking dinner under.

"You two have fun with that. I'm going to sleep. Goodnight." They all wished me goodnight in return except for Kristen who sort of sneered it at me instead. I wasn't too happy about her being here either but she didn't have to make it worse. If I had ever had any doubt about it, I was now officially on her bad side.

I wasn't too keen on the sleeping arrangements. While I had technically slept with him before, in the most literal use of the phrase, I would have felt more comfortable having my own tent or a joint girl tent and a joint boy tent. Before the night was over, I would have murdered Kristen by suffocation but it would have made me sleep easier. It didn't help that we also had to share a sleeping bag. They were all identical big, black sacks specifically designed for conserving warmth during the night.

After making sure that the zipper was closed all of the way, I turned on my headlamp and unzipped the dark duffel bag. As it happened, Cal had actually done a tremendous job at packing all of my clothes without my consultation. He even packed my winter coat for any unanticipated cold fronts. I changed into a pair of warm, flannel pajama pants and snuggled into the sleeping bag that was laid out in the center of the floor.

With my eyes shut, I could hear everything more intensely. It all sounded like it was happening right outside my tent. Someone was strumming a quiet Allison Krauss song on a guitar and humming with great accuracy. More rustling noises came from what I assumed to be the more wooded area and then there were more footsteps. Then someone came into my tent, zipping up the door behind them, and stretched out beside me in the sleeping bag. I felt him put his arm around me. For a vampire, he was a bit warmer than usual. He'd probably spent a good amount of time at the fire that helped him obtain a human-like body temperature. I didn't say anything to avoid exposing my distress and continued to try to sleep.

"I knew you'd warm up to me, eventually." The voice that spoke was not Cal's.

I flipped over and tried to make out the shape of his face. "Damon?" I whispered angrily. "What are you doing here?" As an added measure, I pushed him and his filthy arm as far away from me as possible.

Unfortunately, he was a heck of a lot stronger than me and didn't budge more than an inch. "Don't be that way. We were making progress."

"Damon, get out." My voice was strict, more parental than serial killer.

"How about no? I'm just here to say I don't blame you for not believing me. It'll happen again and, when it does, you'll see it for yourself."

"Yeah? And why did you have to come all the way here to do that? And what did you do to Ben?"

In the dark it was hard to tell but I think I saw another smile dance upon his lips. "Oh, him? I saw him and his girlfriend jogging towards his truck and I wanted to see what all of the commotion was about. I took the liberty of telling him to invite me. I dare say it was terribly unusual that I even had to ask. After all, we've been through so much together. I figured I should forgive you while I was here."

"Forgive me?" I exploded, remaining at a quieter volume as not to turn this into a show for the others who were still outside. "What do you mean 'forgive me'? If anyone should forgive anyone, I should be forgiving you which I am certainly not going to do because you don't deserve it. Now leave before I scream for Cal."

With a sigh, he climbed out of the sleeping bag and put one foot out the door. Before he left he looked back at me and declared with a cocky grin, "One day, you'll believe me and you'll regret you ever doubted me." Then, thankfully, he got out of my tent.

It was harder to fall asleep after that. Every time I heard a noise, I thought it was Damon trying to give me the rerun version of what had previously happened. After the thirtieth or fortieth time, my eyes rolled back into my head and let the world go on for a while without me.

When I came to, the sun was up and I felt someone's arm around me. I kept my eyes closed and turned over before I peeked through a slit in my eyelids to see who it was.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." Cal gave me a kiss and drew me in closer than I already was. "You're lucky you fell asleep. Kristen and Damon nearly tore a hole in their tent last night while you were out cold."

"Speaking of cold," I said. "I'm suddenly freezing. What's the weather supposed to be like today?" Not to make the comparison on purpose but Damon was a lot warmer than Cal for reasons that I didn't want to know.

"It's not supposed to snow this weekend but you're going to have to deal with forty-degree weather. On top of that, the temperature dropped while you were asleep."

I scoffed and wrapped my arms around his neck. "You're so lucky you don't have to be me." To finish off the performance, I laid one on him. Kissing turned to making out and soon enough I wasn't cold anymore, or if I was I completely forgot.

Without warning, Damon pounded on our tent, making it go all out of shape and pop back into place. I nearly jumped. "Rise and shine, young'uns. Don't make me get a bucket of water."

We looked into each other's eyes and then towards where his voice had come from. "Go away!" We said in unison. Believe me. Cal was not off the hook for this one.

Cal and I changed at the same time but I made him face the opposite direction; the only two men who were ever going to see me naked were my future husband and the doctor—and I would have loved to avoid the second one if it were possible. Shortly afterward, we joined the others who were already up and about. Molly was making pancakes, eggs and sausage using not only the camping grill but also a griddle that fit over the roaring campfire. Ben and Charlie were playing War with a pack of cards they'd brought up. Tara was talking with Molly and Damon was sitting silently with Kristen on his lap. Occasionally the two of them would whisper to each other but when I glanced at Cal to see what they'd said he shook his head to indicate that it was nothing important. Cal eventually joined Charlie and Ben while I decided to talk with the other girls.

Our conversation didn't particularly hold my interest. They were talking about what their homecoming dresses had looked like and how badly they were looking forward to the high school Halloween festivities. I tried my best to seem intrigued but after school activities weren't my cup of tea. Every once in a while, I would glare over at Damon to remind him that he was not welcome and every time I did he was already looking in my direction. Kristen would get irritated and she'd try to grab his attention and it wouldn't work. He'd converse with her without moving his gaze from me.

When breakfast was ready, the human boys ate like hounds, eating almost everything in sight. The rest of us laughed as they tried to see how many pancakes they could shove in their mouths before they had to throw it all up. They never actually did vomit but we all could see on their faces that they wanted to. Then came the "fun" part: hiking. Some idiot, maybe one of the not-clumsy retards, thought it would be a good idea. We even made a game out of it, a kind of scavenger hunt. Whoever saw the most animals won an extra piece of Molly's famous peach cobbler that she was going to make during lunch. The rules were you actually had to get a picture of it or it didn't count.

In mere seconds, each couple headed off in a separate direction in search for the most wildlife photos. Within the first ten minutes, Cal and I had seen an orange fox, a family of rabbits, and a lame Canadian goose that had been left behind. Each time we found one of them, I had to look up at Cal to make sure he had a handle on his hunger. He'd assure me that he did and remind me that I didn't have to worry, that he would feed later on once everyone was sitting safely around the campfire.

After he reminded me of this for the sixth or seventh time, he stopped me and had me look at his face. "Will you talk to me about what's been bothering you? The other night, you called me and told me you loved me and now I'm not so sure."

I wrenched my face away from his touch and took a step back, almost tripping over a random stump in the ground. "It's just something that Damon said." I waited until he sat down to continue. "He told me that you used to be a serial killing vampire. I know you'd never hurt me but it bothered me that you would keep something like this away from me. I want you to be able to tell me anything. Anything! You want to know things about me and in return I want to have the same understanding of you. It's not fair to dish out every little detail without a couple from you; even the vampire stuff. Okay?" This wasn't a negotiation. I merely wanted to make sure that he understood the terms.

A second or two passed before he nodded and agreed. "Okay. Does that mean that the next time you have a problem with something that Damon says, you'll tell me and not just ignore me instead?" He wasn't about to walk away without his cut of the deal.

"And on that note," I quickly changed the subject, hoping it wouldn't come to me agreeing to such a commitment as that. "Why did you let him out?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that, Evie."

"Really?" I asked critically.

"No." He saw the pain in my eyes and pressed on. "He's my brother, Evie. Besides, you're the one that made me see that anyone could change. I'm not about to give up on him. He was behaving himself when I woke up for school yesterday. I didn't know he was going to be here and ruin the progress I was making with you. I promise, I'll keep an eye on him and if he gets too out of hand, I'll stab a valerian-dipped stake in between his shoulder blades."

I pictured him having to do that and grinned. "Deal."

"And as for my serial killing, I promise I will never be that person again. I swear it on my unbeating heart."

"I trust you." I put my arms around him and rested my ear over his heart. I was surprised even then to hear nothing but the sound of his breathing.

He kissed the top of my head and stood up, bringing me up into his arms simultaneously. "Let's go. We're gonna win that extra piece of cobbler if it kills me."

I giggled and got my camera out and ready, quite liking this set up.

By the end of our hike we'd seen just about every animal there was to see up there on that mountain. I got to feed a raccoon out of the palm of my hand! All in all, I was starting to like this camping idea even if I did have to use a latrine. The totals were Cal and I in first place with eighty-three, Ben and Molly in second with forty-one, Charlie and Tara in third with thirty-nine, and Damon and Kristen in last place with a total of two. We all laughed when we found out how hard they were trying to find anything. They didn't mind. Kristen wasn't exactly the kind of girl who would eat any peach cobbler, let alone two servings. She was also more moody than usual. It may have had to deal with the fact that Damon was still staring at me with his unsettling eyes. When I saw him, I immediately latched myself onto Cal's arm like a leech. He told me later on that, had he been human, I would have cut off his circulation.

We ate lunch and went back to lazing around the campsite, playing cards and talking about girly things and football. That's when Cal decided to step out and go "sight-seeing." He whispered something to Damon, winked at me, and headed off for the woods. As soon as he was gone, Damon trudged over to my side and sat down.

"Looks like I'm stuck on babysitting duty again," he complained softly to me so no one else could hear him.

Charlie, Tara, Molly and Kristen all voted on naptime. With their bellies full of hot dogs and peach cobbler and after that long two or three hour hike, they couldn't keep their eyes open. Personally, naptime was a luxury I could not indulge. Not only was it physically impossible for me but if I had, Damon would have had to follow me in to keep tabs on me and I didn't want to repeat last night.

Ben and I played Slap Jack while Damon sulked by the fire. I figured it was exactly what he deserved after killing more than a dozen people without any remorse whatsoever. If this was his version of hell, I say let him burn.

I was kicking Ben's butt at cards when we heard a chorus of beeping noises coming out of the radios that everyone had left in the cup holders of the camping chairs. "Evie. Evie, pick up." It was Cal.

I picked up the closest one and pressed the talk button. "I'm here. What's up?"

"We have a situation."

Damon and I looked at each other. He grabbed one of the walky talkies and held it up to his face. "What kind of a situation?" His tone was ever more sarcastic and uncouth.

"I ran into a pack of… you know what and they picked up your scent."

_Vampires._ Just my luck. I was about to ask him another question when they attacked.

At least seven or eight of them swarmed our campsite in a ring formation, like a pack of bloodthirsty wolves. All but one of them was male but the leader of the gang seemed to be the only woman. She's the one who gave them permission to attack. More than half of them lunged for Damon and the others went after Ben. The leader sashayed from where she had stood to stand before me. Somehow they knew that I would be easier to take down. I didn't do anything to defend myself. There was one problem with their obviously well thought out plan. We had the upper hand.

Ben used his anti-gravity spell on the vampires who were aiming for his throat. Damon didn't appreciate being attacked by a bunch of weak miscreants. "Excuse me," he scolded them as he dropkicked them to Timbuktu. His victims flew through the air with the look of complete shock on their faces. They hadn't realized he wasn't a human. Then he slid in between me and their leader with what I assumed to be a scary vampire face—of course, I couldn't see it because all I could see was the ripples of his muscles trying to break free from his black t-shirt.

As soon as it had begun, it was over. Damon moved out of my way in time for me to see their almost invisible bodies speedily retreat back from whence they came. No one had woken up or came out of their tents to see what all the ruckus was about. Ben searched their minds to confirm it. They were still napping.

With the new quiet, I could now here Cal's voice booming from the radios. "Evie? Damon? Did you hear what I said?"

Damon scooped up his radio without removing his eyes from where the vampires had fled. "I think we got it."

"I'm almost there."

Suddenly he appeared, embracing me like a stone fortress of protection. "Are you okay?" He asked frantically. "They didn't harm you, did they?"

"I'm fine," I encouraged him. "Damon saw to that."

"You bet your boots I did." He got into his brother's face with his pointer finger. "You owe me big time."

I wriggled out of Cal's hold and took his hand, facing his brother. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Was that an offer?" He grinned, enticed.

My answer came in the form of a human person who emerged from her slumber to join us. "Honey bunny. It's awfully cold in that tent all alone." Kristen wrapped her arms around his neck and for the first time I noticed that she was wearing a bandana that was tied at her throat. To anyone else, it would appear to be some French knockoff fashion statement but I knew better than that.

I couldn't see them that well but I thought I saw his eyes dilate. "Why don't you go back to bed and I'll meet you in there later."

She got this really odd look on her face. Then she nodded and perked up. "Okay," she replied in a chipper voice and half-skipped back to their tent.

He turned to me and smiled. "My dinner awaits." He raised his eyebrows at me and left.

Ben didn't seem to put the pieces together but then he scanned his mind and a shiver went down his spine. "That's disgusting. How come she's all happy about it? That's not natural in the slightest." His face turned a sort of greenish color and he slumped into a chair.

I sat down beside him. "I don't think she knows what's going on. He probably compelled her just like he compelled you."

"He did what?"

My eyes met Cal's as I thought of what Damon had said to me. "Is there any way you could fix him?"

Cal grimaced and shook his head. "Only the vampire who compelled the human can undo it." His expression turned thoughtful. "Do you have any fire resistant gloves?"

"Yeah, I think there's a pair in the bin in the back of my truck." He nodded over to his truck that was parked a few yards away. "Why do you ask?"

He didn't say but disappeared into the woods with the gloves only to come back a second or two later. "I found some valerian in the woods while we were hiking. It won't fix him but it will prevent him from being compelled by someone else. Damon's compulsion should wear off after the trip is over. That's all he needed you for." He handed the handful of purple flowers to Ben and had me remove the gloves.

Ben stared at it and twirled it around between his fingertips. "What am I supposed to do with it?"

"Just keep some on you at all times. Right now, it might be best to just stick it in your pocket. I'll make you something more practical like Evie's necklace when we get back to town."

He leaned forward in his seat and stuffed the valerian in his back pocket. "What was with the gloves?"

"If I touch the valerian directly, it seers my skin and weakens me." He gestured to the flower. "With those vampires out there, I need to be as strong as possible. They appear to be newbies but the way I live makes me slightly weaker than most. It doesn't look like they've had that many humans around here for a while. I saw them feeding on a herd of deer while I was out there."

"What were you doing out there, anyway?"

"Don't worry about it." He dismissed it quickly. It wasn't pertinent to the situation.

Night fell and the others finally joined us, all except for the other Moretti and Kristen the harlot. I was getting antsy from the suspense. No one knew if or when this clan would strike us again and those who knew about it worried it would end badly. They weren't wrong.

Molly got a break from the major cooking. Instead, we all made our own pizza burritos. It wasn't exactly a hard ordeal. Grab a tortilla, spread some sauce, cheese, and pepperoni on top and fold it like a burrito. Then stick it in some tin foil and put it in the coals. I didn't eat. I couldn't. They all looked at me funny but it didn't change anything. I could feel it in the air; they were coming and someone wasn't going to make it through the night.

I had the same feeling as I laid my head down. Cal's comforting arms did nothing for me now. My friends were in danger, especially at night. The darkness was their playground. Though they had come here before when there was hardly any light seeping through the tall trees, their strength would have only heightened since.

In the distance, not too far off, there was a high-pitched scream. It transformed into a dying moan and then there was nothing. By the time Cal and I had reached the voice, Damon was already by our side, staring down at the ghostly body at our feet. It was Molly.

Damon looked up at us. "They ran off into the woods just as I got here."

"What are we gonna do?" I whispered.

Cal rubbed the tears from my cheek and smiled. "We'll take care of it."

Shortly afterward, the rest of the gang joined us and more screams followed along with the sobs of my dear best friend.

Ben fell to his knees and dropped his head in his hands. "Molly, no!" He cried.

I hadn't really known her all that well but I felt sorrow for him. He may not have been madly in love with her but his heart was heavy with loss.

Cal held my hand. "Call the police." He gave me a peck on the cheek, slipped his cellphone in my pocket, and glanced at Damon. "Let's roll."

"Only you would say something that 80s. Why not 'giddy up, horsey' or 'ride like the wind, Bulls-eye?' Those would have at least been more—"

"Damon!" He interrupted.

The other Moretti rolled his eyes and took off beside his brother at a fast human pace. They were off to kill, defending the innocent.

Alone to deal with the troop, I grabbed Cal's cellphone out of my pocket and dialed 911.

"What's the condition of your emergency?" The robotic-like lady asked, probably figuring it was just another prank call.

"We need someone to come up here quick! Our friend has been killed!" I handed the phone to Charlie to give them our exact location and went to comforting Ben and Tara.

They could all plainly see the countless number of bite marks running up and down her arms and on her neck. "What could it be?" Tara asked, tears gushing from her eyes like a broken dam.

"Molly was probably coming outside to use the latrine," I explained, looking down at the trowel and toilet paper a couple of feet from her body. "Then an animal attacked her, maybe more." From where we were standing, you couldn't tell that the bites looked human at all. The blood was still dripping from the wounds.

Charlie handed the phone back to me. "The police are on their way."

I took the phone and put it away. "Thanks, Charlie." I admired how levelheaded he was when faced with death. On the other hand, it wasn't good that he kept his emotions bottled up like that. I stood up straight to call for their attention. "I want all of you to go back to your tents. It'll be a lot safer there. Ben and I will keep watch for the police."

They nodded and Charlie led Tara and Kristen into one tent to make sure no one was alone. He was kind to even the most arrogant, obnoxious people. I sat down next to Ben and wrapped my arm around him. He realized we were alone and he threw his arms about me.

"Why did this happen?" He said. "What do they want from us?"

I rubbed his back and squeezed him tight. "I don't know. That's just how most vampires are. They don't see a person standing there, they just see red. They're predators and they never really have a reason for doing what they do. They just do it anyway. Don't worry, Cal and his brother will take care of them and this will all be over."

He peered his great blue eyes up at me, his eyebrows mushed together in disapproval. "Why do you trust them? You've seen what Damon can do."

"Damon's not the one I trust." I lashed back quickly, not thinking about the pain this great friend of mine was going through. "Damon will always and forever be the most selfish, evil person I've ever met. But Cal is different and it's him I trust more than anyone else, except you of course. He will make sure his brother stays in check. Always. And you know that." I let the scene on the street with the school bus replay in my mind so that he would understand. Cal was unique.

He took in a slow, deep breath and let it out staggeringly. He sat up and wiped away his tears, his eyes all red and puffy. "Thanks, Evie."

I half-smiled. "You're welcome."

We sat there together for another hour before the boys came back, covered in blood with their shirts all torn in random spots. Cal looked absolutely dreadful while his brother had a victorious smile heightening the corners of lips. Ben was fast asleep on my shoulder and the other Moretti laughed softly.

"Looks like Whitman is making a move on your girlfriend."

Cal glared and sat down on the other side of me.

"How did it go?" I asked, referring to his shirt with my head while trying not to move at the same time.

"We cornered them at a cave on the other side of the mountain. The seven younger ones clawed us as they went down but their leader was more difficult to beat."

"But I took her head clean off." Damon bragged, flopping down in a seat across the fire from us.

_Yes, you did_, I thought in a mocking tone. _Now get a life and get out of mine!_ My thought seemed so loud that I hoped it wouldn't wake Ben up from the intensity of it.

As if he could read my mind, Damon got up, took Kristen from the tent she was in and brought her over to theirs. With him gone, I gently rested my head on Cal's chest and went to sleep, exhausted from being the authority figure for what seemed to be forever. I was never meant to be a leader. I followed. I was a follower.

The police came and went, leaving us with words of caution for the remainder of our trip. I wasn't awake for these unhelpful words of wisdom but my boyfriend passed them onto me when I got up the next morning. Without speaking, we all took down our campsite and the majority of the group hiked down the mountain. I stayed with Ben and rode with him in his truck to make sure he didn't do anything he might regret. Suddenly fun didn't seem to matter anymore. A friend had been lost, tears had been shed, and now it was time to go home.


	8. Suspicion

Chapter Eight:

Suspicion

* * *

Monday was the day of Molly Dylan's funeral. Mayor Gimbly had offered to have it at his house and the whole town was invited to pay their respects. All the arrangements had been made overnight and it was announced over the news this morning and again during school over the sound system. It was to be held after work hours and refreshments were being served. Certainly, that was more important than the loss of a young life.

Aunt Fauna and I got dressed in our funeral attire and loaded into her electric green Volkswagen Beetle. We didn't speak. We didn't cry. We just drove there without even the most essential background noise. She had never actually met Molly either. She'd hear her name mentioned constantly for academic honors and behavioral awards. Those hardly seemed important to her at the time.

When we arrived, I wanted to stay in the car. There was press and interviews and who knows what other kind of publicity. Gimbly didn't care; he just wanted to see his name in the newspaper headlines.

Sadly, I got out against my will and walked alongside my aunt towards the colossal ivory house. As we reached the steps, some of the photographers surrounded me as they recognized I was one of the teenagers that had gone up in the mountains. They tried to ask me questions but I couldn't understand them. They were all shouting at once and I was starting to get dizzy.

Aunt Fauna saw the green tint of my face and pushed them away. "She's been through enough," she mothered. "Leave her be."

We got past the first lot of them only to be met with another crowd that surrounded Mayor Gimbly who was giving a statement before the funeral began. "I'm not doing something that anyone else wouldn't do in my situation. I'm merely reaching out to members of the community who may be grieving as I am for the loss of one of our own. Molly… Dylan was a prized member of our community and it's a terrible day for all of us here in Wolfcrest."

The words were eating at me as I sat through the crying and broken sentences of the people who spoke to Molly's closed casket. Pictures of her adorned the room along with a number of colorful bouquets and ridiculous "we'll miss you" wreaths. _"In my situation."_ That's what he'd said. What exactly was his situation? Was he there when she was killed or when she was discovered or even when the police came and brought her dead body back down the mountain? No, he wasn't. He was cooped up in his grand house with his liquor and his ostrich feather pillows, sound asleep without a worry in the world. He knew nothing about the pain that some of us were going through. He knew nothing in general. After all, what could he know? He was a politician.

As I looked around the room at all of the people who attended, I hardly recognized any of their faces. Well, I did but hardly any that I knew had been friends or family of the deceased. I could pick out maybe twenty of the few hundred people who truly belonged here. Ian Quinton, her former French teacher, was sitting on the opposite side of my aunt, holding her hand. Charlie, Tara, their families and Molly's family were there as well as Ben and his parents. Cal was beside me and on the other side of him were Kristen and her date, Damon Moretti. Everyone else was simply present.

I was a bit confused as to how the two Moretti brothers had gotten into the house but then the obvious answer would be that someone had invited them in. Why Damon came was an even bigger mystery. I glanced at Kristen's black silk scarf, disgusted. Those two deserved each other; the annoying popular girl with the self-absorbed vampire.

Ben got up to the podium when it was his turn without holding back the emotions that swam through him like fish in an agitated pond. "Molly Dylan was the girl next door since we were kids. She was good at just about everything and she outshined us all. She was smart, funny, and she knew more about football than almost every girl I ever met." This he said, looking at me. "I remember when we came up with the idea to go to the mountains to get away from the stress that school was putting on both of us. She said that, when we grew older, she wanted to buy a house up there so she could be closer to heaven. She wanted to be able to look outside her window every day and wave to the birds as they flew by." He took a moment to collect himself as he was slowly falling apart. He glanced up at me and it was like he was trying to communicate with me. _Help me_, he was saying. _Please, help me._

I didn't know what to do. I got up out of my seat and I patted his back and held his hand as he finished his speech. I took my embroidered handkerchief from my pocket and handed it to him.

He took it graciously and took a deep breath. "Molly was the girl that everyone loved. It was hard not to love her. She emanated beauty and kindness wherever she was and made you want to deserve to stand in her presence. She'll always be remembered in my heart." He sort of nodded his head to gesture that he was finished and I walked him back to his seat before I returned to my own.

The rest of the service consisted of a few more of her friends and ended with Mayor Gimbly who explained how deeply sorrowful he was about Maggie—yes, Maggie—Dylan's passing. While he was giving his half-hour long speech, I continued to hear Ben's thoughts. Only then did I realize that I was actually hearing them.

_I can't believe he's up there_, he thought, playing with the dark leather, valerian-filled bracelet that Cal had made him. _He barely even knew her._

_I know_, I thought back. _It's not right for him to try and find ways to get more votes for next term at a funeral for someone he didn't know._

Our eyes met and I saw the puzzlement that lay behind them. _You can really hear me?_

I nodded slightly. _Yes. I think your powers are getting stronger. What did Grams say when you met with her yesterday?_

_She said I was doing better and then we studied history to help take my mind off things. She never told me that this might happen._ He paused and I could hear the murmur of voices that surrounded him in his mind. He focused on Gimbly's and I could feel the anger behind his wordless thoughts. _This funeral isn't about Molly at all. Gimbly's got some sort of meeting planned with a bunch of other people from different families. Sheriff McMillan, William Clements, Ursula Gilmore, and Vincent Van Verth._

_Those are all the founding families except mine and Cal's. What is it about?_

He searched the mayor's brain for the information. There was only one word: _Vampires._

I had to tell Cal. What if they discovered him? What would happen to him? I looked to my right at Cal who was sitting there silently, listening to the babble coming out of the speaker's mouth. _Can you tell him like you told me?_

He closed his eyes tight and put his hands to his temples in concentration. After a moment he sighed in defeat. _No. It looks like I can only do it to you._

That meant I had to tell him myself and risk Damon overhearing us. I leaned in as close to Cal as I could and told him softly in his ear, "Gimbly's holding a special meeting after he gives his speech. It might be about you and your brother."

Cal nodded slightly to me in understanding but that was all.

As soon as the service was concluded, Damon abruptly got to his feet and walked out of the room. Ben quickly came over to where we sat in the back of the room and explained what was going on to the both of us.

"He's going to try to get an informant on the inside by compelling them into compliance. He doesn't know that they're all on valerian."

Damon quickly came back into the room and got right up in Ben's face, pretending to comfort him. "Why didn't you tell me before I got up, witchy?" He wasn't in a pleasant mood this evening. He backed up and patted his back hard, or at least I think it was because Ben took in a sharp breath as he was touched. "How did you know?"

He tapped his mind subtly.

"Can you be the brains until I get the chance to dry someone out?"

"Dry someone out?" His face of confusion quickly turned to regretful understanding. "Oh. Yeah, I guess, but I have to get close enough to the meeting so I can hear them."

"How close?" Damon asked, eying him suspiciously.

Ben shrugged. "The next room over would be fine, I suppose. I haven't exactly tried to do this before."

He ruffled Ben's strawberry blonde hair and smiled. "Good. You tell me everything that happens during that meeting and I'll take it from there."

"Why doesn't that sound comforting?" I interjected.

"Because you'd trust a virus before you'd trust me."

"That's probably true."

"Ladies," Cal wrapped his arms around our shoulders and squeezed us tight to his chest. "Why don't we behave ourselves? Against my better judgment, we're all on the same team. Let's try to act like it."

We both folded our arms in unison. "Fine," Damon said. "But there's no saving her if she gets caught with us." It's not like he would have cared either way.

Together, the four of us went down the hall into the room that Ben claimed was within range of Gimbly's study. That's where we would sit until we knew the meeting was over and everyone was on the same page. We made sure we were there for a long time so no one was suspicious. We sat down on the gold upholstered furniture. Then, we waited.

This part is where I overheard the entire conversation through Ben's mind. The room that they were in was soundproof so even vampires couldn't listen in but it didn't stop his powers from doing the digging.

_"The first order of business,"_ Gimbly said. _"Our supply of valerian is running low and, thanks to some of the creatures of old, there are no longer any plants of that kind in Wolfcrest. Our former supplier, Louis Moretti, has not been returning my phone calls. What do you suppose should be our next action?"_

_"I say we talk to the one of his nephews,"_ suggested Mrs. Gilmore. _"Those two handsome boys may know something about either Louis's stash or of his whereabouts."_

_ "I'll leave you in charge of that then, Ursula. The second order of business is, of course, the recent occurrences; the incident in Mr. McCormick's basement, the bus driver, and the one up in the Black Hills. There very well may be vampires back in Wolfcrest."_

_ "Well, who are we suspecting these vampires are?" _asked Mr. Van Verth, quite astonished at the leap.

_"Anyone who has come into town in the past month or who isn't seen during the day. We should start with any of the teenagers that were supposed to meet in that basement."_ I could tell that Mayor Gimbly was certainly the export of the secret society. Too bad he didn't know that vampires could also walk during the daytime as long as they had an enchanted onyx ring.

_"Who does that leave?" _Van Verth questioned.

_"No one, for now. Everyone appears to be present during both the day and the night. Vincent, you will be in charge of finding possible candidates. We'll reconvene once these two tasks are completed."_

Mr. Clements was the only one who hadn't participated. After the others nonchalantly left the room, he came up to Gimbly. _"I think we might be wrong about that. My daughter Kristen has been going out with that older Moretti boy and has since been wearing scarves. I can't imagine the two are related but we might want to look into the possibility that vampires have since evolved."_

Damon stood up with a crazed look about him the moment that Ben relayed that part of the conversation to us. Then he left as he had before, with a purpose.

The rest of us followed him out, pretending that we were comforting one another and adjourned to the dining hall for the refreshments with everyone else. After that, we said our goodbyes as Ben's parents and Aunt Fauna found us to take us home. None of us knew what the rest of Damon's plan was, not even Ben. He'd left too quickly to get a clear reading from him. Cal told me that he'd meet me in my room after my aunt was asleep and then we went our separate ways.

Aunt Fauna and I went home the way that we had come; in silence. It wasn't that we didn't want to talk to each other; there just wasn't anything to say. When we walked into the house, I told her I was going to bed and ran upstairs to my room. I changed into my pajamas, continued my nightly ritual, and slid under my covers.

Minutes passed before Cal slipped in through my window and lay beside me.

"Damon just got home."

I snuggled into his side. "And your point is?"

He surrounded me with his arms. "We have a new house guest." He clarified.

"Who?" I couldn't believe he was actually going to "dry them out" whatever that meant.

"A one Mr. Vincent Van Verth."

"Don't you think someone is going to notice if Channel 5's on-the-street news reporter is missing?" I pointed out.

"I don't know. Besides, it will only be for a couple of days until my brother can compel him into being his personal snitch."

"Then what?"

He paused. "I'm not sure. The only one who could know what Damon's going to do is Damon himself. He's not really the sharing type. Believe me, I would know. I still haven't figured out what he's doing here."

That was something to worry about. He was devious and untrustworthy. The only reason we kept him around in the first place was because Cal wouldn't give up on him. Out of everything I'd said over the past two months that was the advice he had chosen to take. I only wished that I could go back in time to prevent myself from saying those words. Then I would be rid of Damon for good.

Cal told me I should sleep and then he said goodnight and gave me a kiss. Then I went to sleep and didn't wake up until my alarm went off the next morning.

During school, everyone who had been on that mountain the day that Molly died—besides Damon and Kristen, of course—ate lunch together. This is the moment when they announced that the school was dedicating a new academic scholar award to Molly Dylan. As I have said before, she was one of the brightest students that our school had ever seen. That's why from that day, at the end of every school year when the scholarships would be presented to the seniors of that class, one prestigious senior would be awarded with the Molly Dylan award. The award would be worth $500 to the college of their choice. It would be presented by her mother, every year.

After another long, ankle-throbbing rehearsal, Cal took me to his house for dinner. I thought it was a silly idea since he didn't exactly eat normal food but he insisted and I didn't argue. He was an excellent cook and I was merely mediocre. Even if I knew what a wok skimmer was, I wouldn't want to use it. Cooking was a waste of my precious, minimal brain space.

Once I was done eating, I helped him wash the dishes that hadn't been touched since Louis was alive. Then we lounged out on the couch and went over our lines some more. I was beginning to appreciate Cal's agreement. The musical, while exhausting, was relatively enjoyable. It helped me remember that it didn't matter that he was a vampire and I wasn't. We were in love and that's all that mattered.

As we were lying there, Damon burst through the front door and into the room with one of the widest, genuine smiles I've ever seen him wear.

"Guess who just got on the anti-vamp council." He sounded more excited than was normally good.

"You did?" I asked, quite shocked. "How'd you pull that off?"

He pushed us apart and sat in between us. "You know that dude I had in the basement? He was actually pretty useless, for the moment. But that lady on the council, Ursula something or other, called me looking for Louis and his secret valerian stash. I told her I'd bring them what I could find and we met up at the grille to make it look less conspicuous. I found it in the cellar next to the freezer. Who knew, right? Well, she told me they were worried about him and I said he was on a spontaneous vacation to Italy to visit his roots. She seemed to buy it."

"Can you get to the part where you got on the super-secret council?" Cal interrupted eagerly.

"I was getting to that, Mr. Cranky-Pants. Anyway, Clements had said that thing about day walkers being possible candidates. Ursula was saying that she thought that was impossible so I kind of played on that feeling until she dismissed day walkers all together—you're welcome, Cal. Then this afternoon I found this sloppy drunk homeless guy and turned him. After the sun went down he tried to run off so I called up Ursula and told her that I might have found the culprit. She got all excited, met me at the warehouse outside of town and watched as I stuck a stake in that guy's heart. She was so surprised that she immediately called up Gimbly and requested that I be made a member, which fit because our family needed a new representative. And he agreed!" He took the pillow that sat on the other side of me and cuddled it close to his chest. "Isn't it great?"

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. "You did what?" I knew he was an idiot with his own agenda but did he really have to kidnap and murder in order to get what he wanted?

"You're not gonna make me repeat the whole thing, are you? It doesn't sound as cool the second time around."

I got up from my seat and ran out of the room and up the endless staircase to Cal's room. As I did I heard Damon turn around and watch me go saying, "What did I say? Guys, come on." Cal was right behind me the whole time. "Way to go, brother." He said as he chased after me.

I curled up on his bed and buried my face in one of the pillows.

Cal played with my hair and spoke in a soft, soothing tone. "Damon still hasn't grasped the difference between wrong and right yet. We're on stage one: trying to communicate to him that killing for the heck of it is not acceptable. He must have thought that the council was a good reason to kill. Don't worry, I'll fix it. At least he didn't try to harm children again. We're making progress."

"It's not good enough." I rebuked, the sound muffled by the fluffy cushioning.

"I know," he said, rubbing my back lightly. "But it's a start. You can't expect too much from him, Evie. No one can turn from evil to good overnight. You have to give him time."

I rolled over and looked into his eyes to see if his words would hold any water. He seemed to be sincere. He honestly thought his brother could change.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Evie. There aren't any exceptions to that rule." He leaned down and kissed my lips.

Instinctively I put my arms around his muscular neck and pulled him down close. His smile was intoxicating and I wouldn't stay away. His lips moved up and down my jaw. I no longer remembered anything about what problems I thought I had. Damon didn't exist, vampires didn't exist and everyone who should be alive was. I was in my own heaven on earth for an hour. My hands memorized the feel of his face, his neck and his back. I didn't want this moment to end and from the vibes I was getting and the urgency of his touch told me that he didn't either.

Once we had our fill, we laid down beside each other and gazed into each other's soul. We were having an unspoken conversation that would have made a young romantic jealous beyond belief.

Midnight approached and he took me home before my aunt had a heart attack that would kill her. To my surprise, she hadn't gotten home from her date with Ian. I was happy for them. She deserved to be as happy with him as I was with Cal.

Cal Michelangelo Moretti. As I lay in bed alone, I said his name over and over in my head. Michelangelo couldn't have painted anything more perfect than his face. His green eyes made me feel like I was young and innocent without a care in the world, diving into a pile of leaves that had never changed colors. His dirty blonde hair was like running your hands through the soft, tall grass after autumn had touched the ground with its magic. And his lips; his raspberry lips shaped with patience and joyfulness.

My mom and dad would have loved him. From what I could remember of them, out of everything they ever cared about, was a person who could be loyal and would do whatever it took to keep their friends safe.

I remember there was one time when my dad's friend Bernie took me for a ride in the fire truck and explained to me what he was like. "That man would risk his life for a cat in a burning building if he had to and wouldn't think twice about it. You come from a great set of parents, kiddo." He told me.

All these thoughts and memories swirled around me and helped me sleep peacefully knowing it was going to be okay. I had it good.


	9. Wolfcrest Werewolves

Chapter Nine:

Wolfcrest Werewolves

* * *

Tara and I hung out the next day for the first time in forever. We skipped part of play practice to go see one of Charlie's football games. The Wolfcrest Werewolves—yeah, I know it's a stupid name—were playing against the Geneva Panthers for the first time this season and she promised it would be a really exhilarating game. We dragged along Cal and Ben and made it a group thing. The old gang back together again.

We got a few good seats in the middle of the bleachers where we could see everything. Tara made me hold a sign up with her that said "Go Charlie! #55 rocks!" It was a tad cliché but if it made her happy I was okay with it. The only part that made me want to gag on the inside was her constant waving while he was warming up. It was very… couple-y. I mean, even Cal and I didn't do that. But Tara was her own person and this was nothing out of the ordinary routine.

At 7 o'clock, the football players got on the field and kicked the ball for the first quarter. As Tara had promised, the game was quite exciting. Everyone was getting tackled left and right on both sides of the field. Our school mascot howled at the light of the full moon as if it was good luck for our school. The teams were evenly matched on more than one part of their game. They kept tying each other up until the fourth quarter when our quarterback, Derek Gimbly, got a touchdown in the first five minutes.

Everyone from the Wolfcrest side of the bleachers stood up and cheered. We were in the lead 27 to 21 and it looked like we were going to make it to the end. Well, at least the players were.

As we were cheering, Tara doubled over in pain, her arms wrapped around her stomach. I tried to touch her arm in comfort and see what was wrong but she viciously pulled away.

I looked at Cal and he was already on it. "Come on. Let's get her away from the crowd." He suggested, tugging her along by the small of her back and leading her away from the stands.

I glanced back at Ben. "Stay put and watch the game. We'll need you to tell us how it ends."

He nodded and stared after us as we headed for the parking lot.

Tara writhed in pain and shook Cal off once there was no one else around to see. "Leave me alone." She growled.

"Tara, what's wrong?"

She kneeled on the ground and folded into herself, suddenly silent.

"Tara?" I leaned down to turn her around and see what the matter was.

Cal was too busy looking up at the moon but when he saw what I was about to do, he warned against it. "Evie, I don't think you want to do that."

I ignored him and tried to help Tara up from the ground.

Her head flashed around and looked up at me. Her eyes had changed into golden irises and she stared with scary acuteness to how I moved. Then, out of nowhere, her skin ruptured and her clothes tore away from her body until she was no longer human. She was a wolf.

"Evie, get back!"

But it was too late. The wolf that Tara now was took its big giant teeth and its sharp claws and dug them into me until I could no longer stand or stay conscious for long. I lost so much blood it was a wonder that I survived the brutal attack. Before either of us could do anything to stop her, she was gone.

Cal scooped me up off the pavement and rushed me to his car. "Stay with me, Evie! Don't you dare leave me!" He exasperated. The entire time he was driving, he didn't move his eyes from me. He held my bleeding hand and I could see the desire in his shifting, bloodshot eyes. This was more than he could take. When the car stopped, he put on a pair of sunglasses and carried me out of the front seat to the Emergency Room only a few feet from where he had parked. "Can I get some help, please?"

I heard the gasps from the receptionist and the nurses that saw me as we came in. The doctors quickly got me onto a gurney and rolled me away, leaving Cal behind in the front lobby. Then I faded.

I woke up a few hours later, alone in nothing but a hospital gown lying under a thick blanket. I was numb from head to toe and even thinking about thinking was difficult. I examined as much of my body as I could without moving my head and saw that I was bandaged to the point where I could hardly see any part of me that had skin exposed. The odd thing was I wasn't in a normal hospital room. The objects that were in the room were similar to those you would find in a hospital like the IV and morphine I was hooked up to but the bed was king-sized with a crimson quilt and a dark mahogany headboard. The walls had a similar color and the floors were made of hardwood. I was in a house.

To my delight, the door opened a moment later to reveal Cal wearing a brilliant smile as he walked in and saw that I was awake. "How are you feeling?" He asked as he sat beside me on the humungous bed.

I tried to speak but when I opened my mouth, no words came out. This wasn't like before when I couldn't say anything because I didn't know what to say or I was too sleepy. I seriously couldn't talk. My hand flew to my throat in shock. Why couldn't I talk?

Cal's smile disappeared as he understood what was going on. "Try to stay calm. I know this must be scary for you but it's best to stay calm until your voice comes back. She must have really done a number one you. I'm sorry but I couldn't let you stay in the hospital for too long. I just needed them to deal with the bloody part and then I brought you here. This is my family's old sick room. I've never really had a use for it until now." He realized he was getting off the point. "I couldn't let you stay at the hospital until we found out what was going on. I didn't know what might happen to you if I left you alone for too long. Don't worry. I've been looking for Tara everywhere and it doesn't seem like she's hurt anyone else. I'm just happy you're alive."

_Yeah, yeah. That's all great and all but what the heck happened? _It aggravated me to no end that I couldn't communicate.

He handed me the pad of paper and pen from his room.

I couldn't even shake my head to tell him that I couldn't do it. The pain was growing and it made me want to scream, except I couldn't do that either. I was literally the most crippled person I'd ever known. I felt like a coma patient except I was fully awake but still unable to communicate.

He grimaced and took out his phone. "I think I have an idea." He said before he put it up to his ear. "Hey, it's me. Do you think you could do me a favor? Yes, she's awake. I need you to come to my house right away." He hung up and put the phone back in his pocket.

My eyebrows came together in confusion.

"Ben's on his way over."

My eyes lit up and then shifted back to dismay. I didn't want anyone to see me like this, let alone Cal and Ben. Ben, the brotherly kind that he was, would be furious if he knew what had happened to me. He would be all over Cal and blow up in his face before he even managed to get a word out. I was not looking forward to this at all.

Ten minutes later, Cal stepped out of the room and I heard their voices in the hallway.

"Is she okay?"

"Yes and no. You should probably know that she's beat up pretty badly."

"I'm no doctor. What do you need me for? Did you take her to a hospital?"

"Yes but I need her to stay here until we track down Tara. She's a loose cannon and I don't want her finishing what she started." Cal's voice dropped down lower. "I think Tara might be a werewolf."

Ben laughed and then went silent. "You're kidding, right?"

"I saw her with my own two eyes."

He must have seen the memory in Cal's mind because his attitude changed. "Oh. How did this happen?"

"Well, usually werewolves don't turn unless they've killed someone. Do you know if she's—?"

"No. Tara wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone a human being."

"Then she must be a special case because she just turned in the parking lot. The full moon is out tonight, so that's correct, but the only thing that doesn't make sense is how she turned without the first step. You see, werewolves aren't like normal wolves. They hunt and kill everything in their path. Their purpose was to set the balance of nature after the vampires were created. While vampires are the strongest and the most powerful, there had to be something that could kill them; act as their weakness."

"So, werewolves can kill vampires?"

"That's the rumor. At least, from what I've heard."

"It's lucky then, that she didn't bite you." Ben sneered sarcastically.

There was bruiting silence and then I heard them come up the last few stairs and through the door.

Ben leapt back as he saw my condition and quickly rushed to my side. "Evie, what did she do to you?" He requested reflexively, his big brother chromosome kicking in.

I opened my mouth again and closed it, forgetting that I couldn't speak.

He looked up at Cal who stood just behind him. "Why isn't she saying anything?"

"Tara tore up her vocal cords. She'll be able to speak again but for the moment she can't say anything. That's probably for the best if we ever want them to heal back to normal."

Ben looked back at me and held my hand. _Are you feeling okay?_

I smiled, happy to finally have a conversation with someone who could understand me as well as I understood him. _Better now that I have someone to talk to. I can't feel anything. The morphine's surely working. What was that you two were talking about earlier? You think Tara is a werewolf?_ While I had been there to witness it, the answer to the question still didn't seem to make any sense.

_That's what it looks like. I'll do whatever it takes to find her. Everything's going to be okay, Evie. I promise._

I wanted to discourage him from being hopeful and promising such a thing to me. After all we've been through he should have known that nothing could ever be okay. Another member of our own little family was a monster. Charlie and I were the only ones who hadn't become something else. Surely he could see that our future was more than bleak at this point.

Cal touched Ben's shoulder. "Can you speak with her?" No one had told him about the special link that he and I had. There really wasn't any point to it until now.

"Yeah. Before I could only read her mind but now I can allow her to read mine. The power is very selective."

"What is she saying?" He inquired, almost frantic.

_What do you want me to tell him?_ He asked.

I didn't want him to worry. _Tell him that I'm fine and that I trust that you two will find her before she hurts anyone else._

"She says that she feels fine and she trusts us to find Tara." He replied with a smile on his lips and in his voice. Trust was something that he prized more than anything else in the world besides love and friendship. He wouldn't take this lightly.

Cal smiled as well and patted him on the back. "Good work, Ben. You stay here with her. I have to track down a werewolf."

Ben looked back. "Are you going to be okay on your own?"

He shrugged. "Hope so. I might get Damon to tag along if he isn't busy playing human with the council." He walked out and closed the door behind him.

Ben turned to me and knew I would be worried. The thought of Cal being in danger was a burden that I didn't like to bear. _I'm sorry._ He apologized.

_Don't be. I know Cal will keep himself from harm's way. Besides, Damon will be there to make sure he's safe._

_ You really think Damon would worry about anyone but himself?_

_ Only when his brother's involved. The only one who Damon would want to hurt Cal is himself. Harm from anyone else would be illegal in the state of Damon._

He chuckled. _If you say so._

I looked at him earnestly. _How are you doing?_

He knew exactly what I meant. _Better. Molly's in a better place. At least that's what I keep telling myself._

_Someone that kind couldn't be anywhere else._ I encouraged.

_ I hope you're right. I just thought that she wouldn't leave me and now she has and I don't know what to do. Moving on is harder than it looks._ He paused with a pang of guilt. _But, then again, you would already know that._

_ It's okay, Ben. My parents have been gone a long time. I have Aunt Fauna and I've got you to be my family now. They would want me to be happy just like I know Molly would want the same for you. Death isn't meant to be such a bad thing. When we die, we get to see all of those people who died before us. She's probably up there with her grandparents playing checkers in the park._

He smiled at the thought as he pictured the old couple with Molly in a park made of clouds where everyone was dressed in white. _Thank you, Evie._

I smiled back at him. _That's what I'm here for._

Time passed as we continued to converse without actually speaking. I was never going to get tired of this. I couldn't stop wondering why I was the only one who could share his thoughts. It didn't make sense for the gift to be so exclusive. That was something he was going to have to talk to Grandma Rose about the next time he went to Buffalo.

The grandfather clock in the corner struck eleven and we both sort of jumped. The room was quiet without the sound of talking that it was even more unexpected and abrupt. The moment the clock stopped chiming, Ben's phone went off. He quickly answered it.

"Hello? No, why do you ask? I'll see what I can do."

_Who's that?_

"Cal. He's been trying to get a hold of Damon but he's not picking up his phone. Cal's worried that Tara caught up with him and he wants me to try and locate him."

_Do you think you really can?_

He nodded. "I was looking through my grandmother's grimoire the other day and I came across a locating spell. I'd need to have something that he holds close and some of his DNA but otherwise the spell should go off without a hitch."

Cal came in a moment later holding the crystal liquor bottle that I'd seen Louis with in the living room. "Will this do?"

"Has he touched it recently?"

He handed it over with a snicker. "I don't think I've ever seen him truly sober."

Ben grasped the bottle tight in his hands and closed his eyes. He was mumbling something but I couldn't make it out. Then he stopped and opened his eyes. "He's in the woods but in order to get a stronger reading, I'm going to need something more."

Cal flashed out of the room and came back with a letter opener. He sliced a huge, gaping cut into his hand and held it out. "Do it quickly. It won't last long." And he wasn't wrong. The wound was already starting to heal as the seconds passed.

He took one hand off the bottle to touch Cal's palm and went back into meditation. A second later his eyes flashed open. "I know where he is. Let's go."

They left the room without another word, leaving me alone to fend for myself.

I couldn't tell if I was really worried for Damon's safety. Part of me was hoping that he was badly wounded and the other part dreaded at the same time. Cal would be devastated if any harm came to his brother. Damon was his eternal companion and, no matter how much he annoyed him, their bond was unbreakable. But the other half of me was saying that whatever did happen to him out there, he deserved every last bit of it.

Alone with my thoughts, I tried to work on my mobility issue, slowly moving my fingers then my wrist and, finally, my arms. I could feel the new blood coursing through my veins from the transfusions. It was a better feeling than the stitches and the general achiness of my injuries. Tara owed me big time for dealing with this one.

Tara. I never would have guessed that she would end up being a vicious, vampire-eating werewolf creature. When we were little, we would play dress up with Ben—where Ben usually got stuck playing the handsome prince—and I would always be some sort of an animal. She would be the princess who lived up in a tower and needed to be rescued by the prince. I'd be the scary monster that she needed rescuing from. The order was all messed up now. Tara was the monster and I was the damsel. What I wouldn't give to have it the other way around.

For the longest time, I thought about how scared she must be feeling deep down past the monster layer. Her human mind had to be screaming out in fear of what she had become and the nature of it all. That's how I would have felt in her position. _She can't know what I've gone through. It wouldn't be fair to her to make her suffer through that again._ What if she didn't remember what had happened? That would make everything so much better. Then we could put the past behind us and we would be better prepared the next time that there was a full moon. We could stick her down in the basement until she came back to her senses. Then, at least, she would be safe as would the people she would have hurt otherwise.

Then, like a disease, my mind went back to Damon. What if he got bitten? Is that really the way he was going to die after all the years he's spent here?

Sure enough, Ben and Cal rushed through the door carrying a very pale Damon. I moved over just in time for them to plop him down beside me.

I peered down at Damon, searching for the one thing that would tell me it was over for him. My eyes didn't know what they were looking for. _Is he okay?_

_No. We found a bite on his right forearm. We got there before Tara had time to do any more damage._ Ben sounded almost anxious.

I glanced down at his arm and saw it almost immediately. There wasn't just a bite mark but from the mark spread an infection that colored his veins to black and raised them to the surface but only around the wound. On his forehead sweat was beading up and getting into his black hair. His eyes were open but they didn't appear to be focusing on anything in the room. _What are we going to do?_

"Is there a cure?" Ben asked.

Cal paced up and down the room. "I don't know. I haven't exactly dealt with this before. I only know that it's not going to end pretty." He stopped and pivoted his body to face Ben. "Maybe your witch friend knows a way to cure him."

Ben scoffed. "I highly doubt it. The woman is a magic encyclopedia but I don't think it ranges to supernatural species."

"Can you ask her? This is my brother we're talking about here."

He rolled his eyes and walked out of the room with his phone. Cal was one step behind him.

I continued to examine Damon now that we were alone. He looked absolutely petrified.

"Guinn?" His eyes finally focused on something: me.

_No, it's Evie._

"Guinn, why won't you speak to me?"

_I'm not Guinn, Damon. It's Evie._

"I know I haven't spent a lot of my time with you but it's for your own protection. It's not safe to be with me." He wasn't speaking to me. He must have been envisioning Guinevere from a past memory. "Why are you seeing him? He is only using you to get to me. Cal does not love you."

Now I was confused. More than confused; I was perplexed beyond the scope of the imagination. Was he speaking to me now? And if he was, what the heck was he saying?

His eyes blinked and this time I was sure he could see me. "Evie?"

I nodded in affirmation, wishing there was something I could do to ease his pain.

"Evie, I—"

His delusional outbursts were interrupted by Cal and Ben who reentered with bottles of liquids, needles and the letter opener. I could tell that Damon wasn't going to like this.

_What are you going to do to him?_ I asked.

_We're going to use the valerian to kill the bad blood and replace it with some of Cal's to try and flush out the werewolf venom._

I took Damon's hand in comfort. This was definitely going to hurt him.

Cal filled up a needle full of the liquid and handed it to Ben who jabbed it quickly into Damon's arm and released the valerian into his system. The pain in Damon's eyes was unbearable to watch, even if he was his own kind of evil. He had his moments of good that almost made up for the bad parts, now more than ever. His eyes were glued to my face as the many different needles were pressed into his skin. It was like watching a newborn get its first shot, but worse.

After all the needles and valerian were used up, Cal slit his wrist with the letter opener and shoved it into Damon's mouth. "Drink," he ordered.

Damon was about as weak as I was, if not more, but he sucked the blood from his brother's wrist as if his life depended on it, because it did even if he didn't realize it.

Cal pulled away after a few more moments and let the cut heal until it wasn't even visible anymore. "Thanks for your help, Ben. You should probably head home."

"Yeah, sure thing." He glanced down at me. _Feel better._

_I'll try_, I vowed. Then I watched as he disappeared from my field of view.

"I'm going to keep searching for Tara. Will you be okay without me?"

I nodded and smiled encouragingly. What did I have to worry about other than a half-conscious, delirious vampire who was lying next to me? It was nothing out of the ordinary.

Soon, he was gone too and I was truly alone with the recovering monster.

Damon was having a hard time staying awake. "Bet you're jealous you couldn't be with me now." He said sarcastically with a grin, sweat dripping from his face.

I took the pen and paper that sat on my lap and wrote to him. "You should rest."

He chuckled lightly, so soft it was almost a whisper. "If I rest now, I'll miss all the fun." He glanced down at our entwined hands without moving his head and went into a violent fit of coughing.

If he wasn't going to go to sleep, I was. My eyes couldn't stay open for much longer. My body had gotten quite the workout from the exercises I was doing with my fingers and toes. "You should really rest." I wrote.

He looked into my eyes and whispered. "Thank you."

I smiled and watched as he closed his eyes, never letting go of my hand. Soon, I did the same and floated off to my dream land. The funny thing was when my eyes were shut, Damon's face still remained.


	10. Forbidden Memories

Chapter Ten:

Forbidden Memories

* * *

Since that night, Damon and I had both begun to heal quite nicely. We were no longer bedridden to the same room and our mobility was more than fair. He went back to being a world class human life sucker and I went back to ignoring him. Cal came in periodically while we were ill to administer a dose of both vampire and human blood to his brother. They didn't know if it would really cure him but it would at least remove the tainted blood before it had time to affect him any further. I finally gained the ability to walk and then I refused to be trapped in the sick room any longer. There was work that had to be done, like finding Tara.

Our search for her was going nowhere. As long as Tara was in her wolf form we couldn't use Ben's mode of tracking. We had nothing to tie back to her. I had to be the one to explain where she was to everyone. Her parents were beyond worried and, consequently, infinitely more annoying. We had to have Cal compel them into a peaceful state of mind to avoid dealing with the sheriff. Charlie was much easier to suppress. I told him that she was with me and Ben after Molly's death. I said we'd been encouraging him to get out there and that there would be other girls. He didn't mind sharing her as long as he got to see her at the Halloween party.

That day was the first day that Damon and I weren't forced to be together. I hung around the house with Ben waiting for him to get a supernatural signal on Tara. He was out helping Cal do the physical searching, itching to get back in the game. The moment he walked out the front door, I dismissed everything he'd said to me during the past three days. He had been under the influence of werewolf venom and it wouldn't have mattered anyway.

My wounds were still aching. Cal smuggled me some Vicodin from the hospital to take when the pain was at its worst, which meant I took it every chance I had. My voice was at least working now, well enough to make those phone calls, but I did my best to conserve it. It was odd how quickly I was recovering. The wounds almost tingled as they healed up.

Saturday afternoon, I paced through the living room around Ben's meditating Indian stance. _If we haven't found her by now, we're not going to find her._

"Your negativity isn't helping." Ben mumbled in a melodic sort of way.

I sighed and plopped myself down on the couch. _I'm sorry. I'm just discouraged, is all. Why hasn't she turned up yet?_

"Since my powers don't work unless she's human, we have to assume that she's still in wolf form. According to Damon, werewolves tend to stay in that form the longest on their first transformation. It's a mechanism to help them get a feel for their other side." He peeked through one of his eyelids at me. "Tara's not the only one you're thinking about."

_Ben, not now. Focus on Tara. She could transform any second now._

He closed his eyes fully and a furrow immediately appeared between his eyebrows. "As in right now." He whipped out his phone. "She's in the woods just off the path to the bridge by the creek."

The whole time, she had been right nearby. That didn't mean anything anymore; she was safe. Two days of worrying and tracking had paid off.

Ben wasn't about to let the issue drop. "Now that that's taken care of, let's talk about Damon."

_ I don't want to talk about him._

"As soon as you tell me why you're thinking about him."

_I'm not._

He guffawed and stood up to sit next to me. "You can't fool the mind reader, Evie. That's why they call us mind readers. We read minds."

_Yeah, well you made a mistake. I don't think about cruel, heartless savages unless it's about pushing them off the edge of cliffs._

"Evie, admit it. You're not a hundred percent sure that you love Cal alone. You've got a crush on—"

The front door burst open and Cal and Damon came in, one behind the other. In the younger brother's arms was Tara covered up in a meager jacket. "She's still unconscious," he said. "Do you two think you could go get clothes for her at her house? Unless we're invited in, neither of us will make it through the door."

Ben and I stood up in unison. "Sure. We'll be back as soon as we can." _I'm not letting this go, Evie. We're talking about this later._

I looked into his eyes and saw his seriousness. _Okay._ I got up without looking at the people around me and together we walked out without giving them another glance. Then we got into the car and began talking without a moment's peace.

_Alright. Spill the beans or I'll tickle you into next Tuesday._

I shook my head, folding into myself. _I don't know. I can't get Damon's words out of my head. It shouldn't matter to me at all but in a way, I think it does._

_What did he say?_

The image replayed in my mind for him to see. The two of us were lying next to each other in the big, crimson-covered bed, staring into each other's eyes. There isn't much else to do when you're pumped up on morphine or, in his case, valerian and blood. "Did I ever tell you that you have the most beautiful brown eyes? You do." He held my hand and told me he loved me, but I could only think about how he first called me Guinn. He probably thought he was talking to her instead of me.

_It's not his fault. You two do look freakishly similar. Have a look for yourself._ He showed me one of Damon's memories. In it, he and Guinevere were just meeting for the first time. She looked up at him under her long, dark eyelashes and in her I saw myself. The only difference that I could see was that she was wearing a gigantic, Colonial dress of the finest Italian make and I normally wear jeans. Her bangs were pulled back, her hair curled and held down with a unique hat that matched her golden dress. We were practically twins.

_Oh, jeez._

_Tell me about it. Don't worry too much about what he said. Even if he was lucent enough to form a coherent thought, he could be deceiving you. You still got the one you wanted._

I flipped down the visor mirror and fixed my hair so the cuts along my eye weren't visible. I'd have to cover them up with makeup when I went back to school Monday morning. _No worries here. Do you know if her parents are home?_ I asked as we approached the Healy's house.

He stared into the house and searched. "Nope, we're good. Do you remember where they put the hide-a-key?" He parked the car in the driveway and got out.

I followed him up the front porch and reached into the plant pot that hung from the metal decoration of the wooden awning. I pulled out the key and smiled as I opened the door. _After you._

We ran upstairs to Tara's room and found it a complete mess. Clothes were sprawled every which way as well as books and the contents of her drawers. There was no way of stepping around it.

_Someone forgot to do their chores. This place is a pigsty._ I gathered up some of her clothes and threw it in a bag that sat by her desk.

Ben examined the room with a probing eye and shook his head. "I don't think this is a simple 'I forgot to clean my room' mess. Nothing seems to be in place. We should hurry back and wait for Tara to wake up so we can ask her about it. It might be bigger than we thought." He waited for me to step out and guided me down the stairs into the car and drove off quickly back up the road to Moretti Manor.

Even Cal was surprised that we'd made it back that fast. "Who died and made you a vampire?"

"No one, thank God." Ben praised. "How's Tara doing?"

"She's still unconscious. I put her upstairs in one of the guest rooms. You might want to bring her clothes up so she has them waiting for her. I'm going to go… for a walk. I'll leave her in your capable hands." He flashed his eyes to me and then back to Ben, spun around and walked away.

_He's not talking about Tara, is he?_

_ Afraid not, Evie. He's worried about what Damon might do to people now that he's feeling better. He knows that I can protect you in case he goes crazy again._

_ He's hunting, isn't he?_

_ Yup._

I sat down and dropped the bag of clothes by my feet. "So, what do we know about werewolves, anyway?" The question was general but I was really asking Damon.

He was lounging in the chair across from me, gulping down a tumbler of scotch. "Well, we know werewolves attack mercilessly, that's for damn sure." He began while giving himself a refill from the crystal bottle. "Because everything needs balance, their weakness is wolfs bane like ours is valerian. The whole silver bullets thing is a crock. It doesn't kill them, it only maims them."

_I bet he got all of this information from past experience._

Ben grinned and sat down on the arm of the couch beside me. "How do you know that?"

Damon assumed he was the one that was being spoken to and replied, "When you've lived as long as I have, you know things."

_That's a yes_, I thought with a mental happy note.

_He certainly looks guilty about something. That's a good sign, right?_

_ We'll see. _"Is that all?"

His eyebrows came together as he too refused to look at me directly. "No. Werewolves normally have to kill someone to trigger their mutant gene. Otherwise, they could live their entire lives and not realize that they're any different from humans."

"That sucks."

"No kidding," Ben cracked. "What we don't know is how Tara was able to trigger the gene without the necessary step."

Damon stared deep into his glass. "That would be nice to know." He sounded like he was speaking to the universe.

Ben looked at him, then me, and back to him. Then he stood up and grabbed the bag that was at my feet. "I'll make myself useful and bring these clothes up to her before she wakes up and has to walk around in the nude. Wouldn't want her to freeze to death." _Not that I'd hate to stay down here and listen to the drabble coming out of his mouth, but you two aren't exactly the life of the party at the moment._

My eyes widened as they followed after him. _Don't you dare leave me alone with him!_

He smirked and glanced at me over his shoulder. _Have fun_, he sang.

_Ben!_

But it was too late. He was already up the stairs and out of sight.

_Mayday! Mayday! What am I going to do? _An alarm sounded in my head and I abruptly got to feet. "I, uh… will just be going." I tried my best to casually walk up the stairs and past the second floor landing. Then I ran for it all the way upstairs to Cal's room where I was safe to think aloud without being heard. Cal told me once that he'd vampire-proofed his room so his brother couldn't hear him when he was in there. He'd done it the last time he'd visited Wolfcrest. He didn't realize how much of a necessity it really was.

I let out a deep breath and flung myself backwards on the bed. I shouldn't have because of my stitches but I didn't care if they burst open and bled everywhere in sight. I was alone and no one, vampire or otherwise, was around to see it. Oddly enough, it made me think about my future as a human. If I ever wanted to be with Cal like a normal married couple that was out of the question. Being with him forever would cost me my human life. Some may have seen it as a cost but, if I was absolutely certain that I wanted to be with him for the rest of existence, it wouldn't be a cost at all. Love is full of pushes and pulls on either side of the relationship. If someone couldn't handle that, then they weren't meant to be.

I think of that a lot now while I have nothing else to think about. School work doesn't fill up a large chunk of my time here at college and it's nice to picture myself back in the good old days when love was all that mattered. When I'm not thinking about love, I'm thinking about the man who changed my life forever. That's when I'd turn my mind off and go back to studying. Those memories were locked away, and for a reason.

As I lay on the bed and looked about the room, I had felt incomplete. Everyone else in my life was finding their missing link, what made them whole. I was the sidekick best friend and the innocent girlfriend of the supernatural beings around me. What was so special about me? I wasn't a werewolf or a witch. I wasn't a vampire. I was a measly mortal, void of any unique traits or capabilities. My IQ was average as were my looks and my social status. Was there something for me to discover about myself that I didn't know yet? That would complete me and make me whole?

Suddenly, the door cracked open and Damon poked his head in. "Do you mind if I come in?"

I sat up quickly and stood, feeling awkward and not quite knowing what to say or what to do. "Um, no. Go ahead. It's your house." He didn't really need my permission.

"Right." He stepped in and closed the door behind him. Then he slowly crossed the room as he spoke. "I just wanted to check up on you and make sure you weren't doing anything to hinder your recovery. Cal would have a fit if he found out we had to take you to the hospital while he was out."

I held my arms behind my back in an uncomfortable stance. "I'm in tip top shape." My methods of encouragement were flapping away, out the window, as I spoke. _What the heck is wrong with me?_

Damon seemed unconvinced. "You're bleeding." He zoomed around and reappeared with a first aid kit.

"Oh, crap." As I peered down to see what the heck he was talking about, I saw how bad it was. My stitches had come undone—only one of the cuts going down my arm. The blood seeped into the sleeve of my gray, long-sleeve shirt. I rolled it up to reveal the wound, a long slice that started a couple inches below my shoulder and ended right above my elbow. There were parallel cuts on either side of it but those smaller gashes had remained unaltered.

"Here, let me clean that up for you." He took out some hydrogen peroxide and some cotton swabs and went to work. His touch was soft as he gently stroked the wound with the implement. "Sorry," he apologized as I flinched at the pain.

I looked into his blue eyes. "It's alright. It's not your fault." Honestly, I was stunned. The word "sorry" implied that he had a conscience when common knowledge told me that he didn't. Still, I was taught to be fair. Some people can change. That's why I had told Cal that everyone deserved a second chance. As far as I had ever known, they did. Looking at Damon with his silky black hair and his caring face, I believed it even more.

In no time, he finished bandaging me up. However, his hands lingered, stroking my skin. For a moment, all was quiet. For a moment, it was only the two of us. The background was changeable. I wouldn't have noticed a difference if the sky turned purple and it began raining gummy worms that tapped against the windowpane. His eyes held mine and that was the extent of the universe.

Then he spoke. "I wasn't apologizing for the pain that you were feeling now. I apologized because I was there when it happened; when Tara did this to you. I was looking over you from a distance as she scraped at your skin." He brushed back the hair that covered what was left of my scars. "As she bit you. I knew he'd be right behind you. He should have been protecting you better. I would have but I didn't. She ran off when she heard me rustling about at the edge of the trees and she chased after me through the woods until I couldn't outrun her." He was no longer looking at my eyes. Now he was staring at my lips.

My body froze but I suppressed it. What would one kiss do? In that moment, I wanted it more than anything else that the world could offer me. As he leaned in closer, I stood waiting, wanting, hoping.

Like the punctual man he was, Cal entered before anything could happen. He was staring at a blood bag in his hands as he announced, "Tara's up."

Damon stepped away, somewhat frustrated about something. He nonchalantly scratched the back of his head and nodded to the blood. "Is that for me?"

"Yup," Cal replied with a toss, sending the bag soaring through the air into Damon's waiting hand. "Drink up. I'll give you a shot of Moretti O-positive after you finish with that. Evie, Tara wants to see you if you're ready." He glanced over to me and smiled, completely oblivious.

"Sure. I have a few questions I wanted to ask her." I snuck out without looking at my right, sneaking a kiss from Cal as I went passed him. I wasn't exactly sure which guest room she was in but I found her sooner or later at the end of the corridor.

Tara was sitting on top of the covers, sweat beading on her forehead. She didn't look ill but frightened. When her eyes settled upon my face, the fear subsided and was replaced with guilt. "I'm so sorry. Ben told me what I did to you and Damon the other night. I didn't mean to. I didn't even know I was doing it. The last thing I knew we were in the parking lot and the next I was here. Are you doing better?"

"Much better. I don't blame you. Like you said, you didn't know what you were doing." I sat down beside her on the bed and held her hand, patting it gently. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel great now. Earlier, that transformation hurt like a mother. But I'm guessing that's not what you two wanted to ask me?"

I glanced over at Ben who sat in a chair a foot away from the bed. "We were just wondering about your room." That wasn't a question and I wasn't sure how to phrase it like one.

Ben stepped up to the plate and explained what I meant to our perplexed friend. "When Evie and I went to go pick up your clothes at your house, your room was messier than usual. Do you remember what it looked like the last time you saw it? Try to picture it in your mind."

She nodded and her face crinkled in concentration.

Whatever he saw, it's not what he wanted to see. "That's what I was afraid of." _Someone else was in her room prior to our visit._

"Question," Tara stated, raising her hand for our attention as we exchanged worried glances. "What do you mean by that? How do you know what it looked like? You didn't even have me explain it to you."

_Right… _"Tara, I'm a warlock."

"A what?" She was more confused than anything else.

"A warlock. A male witch. One of my special abilities is that I can look into people's thoughts and see what they're thinking about. Sometimes I can even allow others to hear my thoughts, too." He didn't mention the part where I was the only one who could hear his thoughts. Tara would have read too much into it.

Her head bobbed uncontrollably, eyes wide and glazed over. "Cool."

_Uh oh. Should we tell her that your boyfriend's a vampire?_

I examined the situation and decided against it for the moment. _We might want to give her a minute to grasp the concept of paranormal best friends first. We don't want her to have a heart attack. Why don't you do something cool to calm her down? Like that cool floaty thing you did before._

He grinned and took a couple of peppermints out of his pocket and laid them on the bed. With a careful eye on Tara, he put out his hands and levitated the mints, making them circle around her head. Then he let them fall and made the butterflies of blue flames appear and flutter through the air. _They're your favorite, aren't they? I think that's what I remember. Eastern-Tail Blues? You always used to say that they were more brilliant than the Western-Tails._

I looked around me and smiled. _Yes. _For a moment of time, I forgot about my strife; that we were with Tara.

That is, until she started batting around at the butterflies like a puppy. "Pretty! How are you doing that?"

"I told you. I'm a warlock. That's about all I can do right now. I'm only a beginner." _Your turn._

This was it. I wasn't sure how she was going to take it but I was about to find out. "There's something else you might want to know."

She searched my eyes skeptically. "What? Are you the Loch Ness monster?" She probed.

_Don't rub it in_, I thought to myself. "Not exactly… Cal and Damon… They're vampires."

That's what really got her goat. "They're what? You mean you two brought me into a house owned and run by bloodsucking fiends who try to kill people?"

"Hey, now. You tried to kill me and Evie," Damon refuted as he stepped into the room. "I heard my name and thought I'd see how the little murderess was doing." Now that was the Damon I knew.

"Fine, thanks," Tara replied sarcastically.

But I wasn't really paying attention to her. I couldn't take my eyes off Ben who was staring at me and Damon as he finally took the time to hear his thoughts. _What the hell is that about? Evie, do you have something you want to tell me?_

_ Nothing happened, Ben._

_ But both of you wish something had happened. He was going to kiss you!_

_ And that's exactly what you wanted, too! You're the one who left us alone!_

_ I didn't think you were going to start making out! What's Cal gonna think? Oh my God… What if Cal makes me tell him what happened?_

_ Ben, nothing happened_, I repeated._ Besides, Cal doesn't think anything went on. He's not going to bring it up._

_If nothing happened than why is Damon replaying the memory in his mind? He's got it on instant replay AND slow motion. I'm pretty sure he's added romantic music in the background for special effect. That sounds like something happened to me._

_ Can we do this later when it's just the two of us?_ I begged, watching the other two people in the room argue and glare at each other.

_ Are you gonna try to make a move on me?_

I scowled. _Don't make me hurt you._

While Ben and I were bickering, Damon and Tara were doing the same.

"It's different! You're a vampire twenty-four seven. I only have to be a werewolf once a month."

"Make that twice a month. Although, if we're counting the number of times you're pissy, I'd say that was all year 'round."

"Yeah, well at least I don't have to kill people to get my rocks off."

"Yeah, just maim 'em almost to death." He flicked it back at her. "Why don't you stick that in your juice box and suck it?"

It was hard to think objectively when I was clearly biased although I had to hand it to him, that last part was pretty funny. "Alright, ladies," I interjected randomly. "Let's try to play nicely, shall we? Tara, let's get you something to eat. Damon, go chase a skirt or whatever." I got up and led the way to the kitchen without looking at him. I didn't have to. Ben was giving me full access to his own thoughts, showing me what he saw and, therefore, giving me full reign over Damon's. I could depict his actions without even turning my head to see him with my eyes.

The three of us went down to the kitchen to rustle up some grub. Now that I practically lived there, Cal always made sure the pantries were stocked with anything I could ever want. I grabbed a box of Wheat Thins and munched away while the others went for a more substantial kind of food. This was where we could be unbothered by the presence of vampires. They had no need to come in.

_We need to talk_, Ben reminded me after he'd finished nibbling on a carton of sushi.

_Not here._ I turned my attention to Tara. "Do you think you'd be okay here? Ben has to take me to my house to pick up something."

She nodded, unable to speak with the leftover spaghetti hanging out of her mouth.

I smiled at the innocent picture. "Okay. If you need anything, Cal's right at the top of the stairs and if you're desperate enough, Damon is only a shout away. We won't be long." Then I spun on my heels and walked out into the hall, tall, proud, and ready to get this over and done with. I didn't stop until I made it to the car.

On our way to my house, I didn't speak and I ignored every attempt that Ben made to hold a conversation. I wasn't saying anything until I made it to Switzerland.

As I came through the front door of my home, I saw Aunt Fauna as she headed for the living room. I didn't stop to talk and merely called back to her with a, "Hey, Aunt Fauna" as I shot up the stairs.

Ben did the same, only a step after me. Only at my house would it be okay for a boy to come up to my room—as long as that boy was Ben, that is.

I grabbed my overnight bag from under my bed and stuffed a whole bunch of clothes inside. I liked having my options and it was better to pack in bulk to avoid coming back for more. Then I sat down on the edge of the mattress and folded my arms. _Alright. What do you want?_

He sat down beside me, clasped his hands together, and bent forward, resting his arms on his legs. _I want you to explain to me what you were doing with Damon. And how do you think Cal would feel about it if he ever found out? _His cerebral voice was level, sensible. He sounded more like a caring sibling than a friend on the edge of collapsing from insanity.

_Damon and I were just talking. He came in and saw that I was bleeding so he patched me up and told me he was always there. It's nothing you haven't heard. It's probably another line from the Damon Book of Lines. You're still acting like it's a big deal._

_ Evie, don't you see? It _is_ a big deal. Cal may be a vampire but he's still just a guy. He wouldn't be okay with you going behind his back with his brother. It's not kosher._

_ It's not like we kissed._

_ But you both wished you had and Cal had never walked in on you guys. Who knows what would have happened then. I'm just glad that I have the ability to control what thoughts I can and cannot see otherwise I'd be able to see Damon's imagination at play and there are some things that I would not like to see._

I sensed what he was talking about which made me grateful he didn't see Damon's fantasies. On the other hand, I didn't want to see them either. _I'm sorry._

_ Don't apologize to me. Just make sure that it doesn't happen again unless you're sure that that's the path you want to go down. Can you promise me that?_

I nodded. _I promise._

_Thank you. _He gave me a hug and stood up. "We should get going."

"You go ahead without me. I'm gonna spend a few minutes alone. If I leave now, I'll never get a moment's peace."

"Okay. I'll see you later, then." He kissed my forehead and went back down the stairs, closing the door behind himself as he left.

With a sigh, I flopped backwards on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. What had I gotten myself into? Without getting myself into anything, I might add. I almost kiss a guy, not any old guy but Damon Moretti, and Ben's ready to stick my body to a cross and crucify me. Technically, he's the one who almost kissed me but I suppose that wasn't the point Ben was trying to make. The feeling had been mutual. That's what worried him. He didn't want me to get involved with Damon and ruin my relationship with Cal if it wasn't what I wanted. The thought brought me back to my original point about eternity with Cal. If I was going to make a life-changing decision, I had to be sure without a doubt that it was a choice I wouldn't regret in the long-run. For all of their sakes, I would be certain. It wasn't a decision that could be made without affecting them also.

My reverie was interrupted by the vibration of my pants' pocket. I pulled out my cellular and looked to see who was bothering me. The number was blocked. When I opened the text message, it read, "If you ever want to see your werewolf friend again, drive to the abandoned warehouse. Come alone."

Naturally, everything was fine one minute and a disaster the next. Sure, the text said to come alone but did that mean I couldn't tell anyone about it? I shrugged it off and brought my stuff with me to the car. Better safe than sorry.

In a place like this there was more than one deserted warehouse but I knew, or at least I hoped I knew, which one Tara's captor was referring to. There was one warehouse just outside of town that Damon had killed that innocent homeless man near. What I needed to know was who I was dealing with. It was safe to assume that it was someone who knew about the supernatural but after that it could be anybody.

The light was disappearing from the sky as I drove down the road with trees on either side of me. There was hardly any light at all because of the storm clouds that were invading up above. The fog nestled around the tree trunks but never left the sides of the road. The roads themselves were clear of any obstructions.

Oddly enough, I had the feeling that someone was watching me. Then, out of nowhere, a hooded figure popped into the middle of the road in front of me. I swerved to avoid him, swerved and crashed into him as the tail end came around, and ended up upside down in my car. It felt like I swallowed my tongue as all the blood rushed to my head. My seatbelt was keeping me in place when all I wanted to do was get out. As I looked out the space where my window had been, I saw the person gradually move and rise to his feet. That's when I understood; I was dealing with another vampire. I no longer had time to think. It was time to act. I wrestled with my seatbelt but I couldn't concentrate enough to move, to do anything. I whimpered in fear and agony as I saw the man approach the wreckage.

Just when I thought it was the end and he bent down to peer in, he disappeared, running into the distance. The next second, a face popped its head through the space.

I screamed but quieted down when I realized I recognized the face.

"How ya doing in there?" Damon asked, concerned as he assessed the scene.

"Damon?" I tried to focus on his face but my eyes took forever to adjust.

"You look stuck." He said as he stood up, out of my sight.

"It's my seatbelt," I griped. "I can't do it. I can't—"

"Shh, shh, shh," he soothed, peeling the door out of the way. He came back down to my level. "Let me get you out of here. I want you to put your hands on the roof. Just like that." He coached as I did what he asked of me. "You ready? One. Two. Three." Then he reached for my seatbelt and ripped it out of the buckle. "I got you." He comforted me as he pulled me out and held me in his arms, standing to examine me. "Are you okay? Can you stand? Is anything broken?"

I wanted to answer him but the feeling in my throat made it hurt to talk. I felt my stitches come undone in the struggle however nothing seemed broken. "Uh-uh," was all I managed to spew out.

Damon tried to stand me upright but my legs couldn't hold me up right away. "Whoa, you're fading fast, Evie. Evie, look at me. Focus. Look at me." He repeated, holding the small of my back to keep me standing. He held my chin and beheld my face. When he saw that I was alright he sighed, brushing my hair from my eyes. "Okay."

He was right. I was fading. I could feel my consciousness slipping. But there was one thing that I had to communicate before I did. "We need to save her."

"What?" He asked tenderly.

And then I was out.

When I came back to reality, I was in a moving car, in the passenger's seat. The trees were flying past but they were further apart, making way for the open field. I blinked the tiredness away and realized I didn't recognize any of it. The sky was a bright, light blue. Nothing seemed right. My head whipped around and I saw Damon in the driver's seat.

He smiled and I could see his vibrant, white teeth. "Morning."

"Where are we?" I asked, rubbing my head as I realized it was aching.

"Geor-gia."

"Georgia?" I repeated. "What do you mean we're in Georgia? Seriously, Damon. Where are we?"

He looked to the road and then back at me. "Seriously, we're—we're in Georgia." His normal expression turned to worry. "How are ya feeling?"

I didn't know how to answer that. My throat felt miraculously better though, even with my previous werewolf accident.

"There's no broken bones," He stated, glancing back to the road to avoid eye contact. Then he grinned devilishly at me and added, "I checked."

None of it seemed real anymore. Like I had just woken up for the first time since the night before last. "My car. There was a man. I hit a man. But then he got up and—who was that?" It felt like I was describing a dream but I felt like I should ask anyway.

His features hardened. "That's what I would like to know."

"Where is my phone?" This was the last straw. "Ok. We really need to go back. Nobody knows where I am. Pull over." Nothing happened. "I mean it, Damon. Pull over!" I demanded.

"Oh, you were so much more fun when you were asleep," He groaned, complying with my orders.

I got out and literally doubled over in pain. It hurt to stand, to breathe.

Damon flashed over to my side and supported me. "Hey." Trying to get my attention, he peered past my hair at my face.

I straightened out my back a bit and looked up at him. "I'm fine." With a step forward I had a realization aloud. "We have to go back." Tara was in danger.

"Oh come on. Look. We've already come this far." He said, his ego seeping into his every word.

I turned around and stared. "Why are you doing this? I can't be in Georgia. I wrecked my car. I have to go home. This is kidnapping." _Get me out of here!_

He inched closer to me and bent his head slightly. "That's a little melodramatic, don't you think?" He purred with a grin.

"You're not funny. You can't do this. I'm not going to Georgia."

"Well, you're in Georgia," Damon said, leaning up against his car and crossing his arms. "Without your magic little necklace, I might add."

While I faced away from him, I touched my neck and saw that he was right.

"I could very easily make you… agreeable."

Turning back to his smiling face, I nearly broke down. "What are you trying to prove?" My question went unanswered as I heard my cellphone ring. It was the show tunes ringtone; Cal. But something was off. The sound was coming from Damon's jacket. "That's my phone."

He rolled his eyes, took it out, and glanced down at the screen. "Mm. It's your boyfriend." He went to hand it to me but I couldn't take it. I still felt awful about what had almost happened back in his room. "I'll take it." Putting the phone up to his ear he answered it in a sing-song voice. "Evie's phone. Evie? She's right here. And, yes, she's fine." He exaggerated the last word, raising his eyebrows in a seductive sort of way. Then he flipped the phone over in his hands and held it out towards me. "He wants to talk to you."

I shook my head and looked away.

He repeated the motion and continued to speak to him. "Yeah. I don't—I don't think she really wants to talk to you right now. You have a good day. Mm-hmm. Bye now." He smiled and gave me the phone.

"What did he say?"

Damon shrugged. "Nothing important."

I looked at the car, a dull blue Mustang convertible. A classic in mint condition. "Where'd you get the car?"

He didn't answer.

_Stole it, probably._ "Look. No one knows where I am. Can we please just go back?"

"We're almost there."

"Where is there?" I asked, somewhat frustrated.

"Don't worry about it." He saw the look on my face and continued, "Oh, come on, Evie. You don't wanna go back right now. Do you? What's the rush? Time-out. Trust me. Your problems are still going to be there when you get home."

I still wasn't convinced.

"Look. Step away from your life for five minutes. Five minutes."

My mind needed a moment to think, take in the scenery. Five minutes with Damon was all I needed to get confused all over again. How could he do this to me? Even if Tara wasn't really in trouble. Even if it had all been a dream before now. I faced him and looked for some sort of truth in his eyes. "Am I going to be safe with you?"

"Yes."

"Will you promise not to do that mind control thing with me?"

"Yes."

"Can I trust you?" That was the ultimate question, a question I had to get an answer for no matter what.

He gestured his head to the Mustang. "Get in the car. Come on." He wasn't in the best of humors when he slid into the front seat.

Hoping that I wasn't making the wrong decision, I got in and put my seatbelt on. My eyelids started growing real heavy and I felt like I was going to slip into a coma.

Damon looked at me and drove away.

I woke up for a second time and the scene was more like I pictured it would be. My mind was all boggled. "Okay, am I really awake now?" I glanced over at Damon who was still in the driver's seat. The car looked the same. He looked the same. It all made me even more confused.

"That's what it looks like to me. How are ya feeling? Don't worry, there aren't any broken bones. I checked."

My eyebrows came together. "I know… you told me that already."

Then it was his turn to look at me funny. "No I didn't. This is the first time you've been conscious since I pulled you out of your car." He wrapped his right hand around my head and jiggled it around to examine me. "Maybe you hit your head too hard on the pavement."

I shook him off and glanced out the window. "Please tell me we're not in Georgia." That would be the icing on this freaky cake.

"Um, no. We're on our way back to my place. I grabbed your sleepover stuff if that's what you're hung up about. It's in the back." His expression made me think that he thought I was insane. Honestly, I was beginning to think the same thing.

"No, we can't go back now. I've got to save Tara." Then I peered over at him again. "How did you know I was in that crash? How did you find me in time?"

He seemed reluctant to answer. "I was… around. I heard you freaking out and came to help."

_Fine. If you won't tell me, I'll get Ben to tell me later._ "Okay… Well, I got a text from a blocked caller saying that if I wanted to see Tara again I had to go to the warehouse."

"One trip to the warehouse coming right up." He did a fast U-turn with a smirk and sped down the road in the opposite direction.

No words were exchanged until we arrived at our destination and he helped me out of the car, keeping me balanced.

"Alright, you wait here and I'll go scope the place out. We don't know what we're dealing with," he whispered, leaning me up against the car for support.

"No, you can't!" I called after him.

"Shh!" He pointed from his ear to the building as a warning.

I continued quieter in compliance, "The text said I had to come alone."

He came back to me and held out his hand. "We're going in together then. I'm not letting you go into a situation that you might not be able to walk away from." Then we walked up to the door and went in. When we stepped inside, he sniffed at the air and squinted at an object I couldn't see.

"Damon?" I heard Tara cry.

For the first time, I think he was almost as grateful to hear her voice as I was. "Tara?" I called to her.

"Evie!" She rushed up to me and threw her arms around me.

I almost fell over again but luckily Damon helped steady me. "Careful, werewolf girl. Evie's had a tragedy of her own today."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just so glad to see you. I was taken here. They kept saying something about wanting werewolf blood but I didn't really understand what they were saying. They wrapped my wrists in this stuff. It burned my skin." She showed us her wrists.

"Let's talk later. Right now, we need to get you out of here," Damon interjected.

"It's okay. She left when she heard the door open. She's probably far away by now."

Damon grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the car, never letting go of his hold on my waist. "It's better safe than sorry, Lassie."

We got to the manor, as I will try to call it from now on because it isn't technically a real "mansion," in the nick of time. Tara went to her guest room, I headed up with my bag of clothes to Cal's room, and Damon skulked off to who knows where. In our separate parts of the house, we were safe.

Cal hadn't come upstairs yet so I took the opportunity to change into my flannel pajamas and get ready for a long night's rest. I spent a good amount of time brushing my teeth and washing my face. Then I stared at myself in the mirror, particularly my neck. My valerian necklace from Cal was really gone. That was the object that helped me hold on to what I thought I knew. It helped me remind myself that he was the one who cared for me enough to protect me from himself. For my sake, he kept a tiny wooden chest in the bathroom full of the plant in case I ever needed it.

With a sigh of fatigue, I went into the bedroom and nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Cute PJs." Damon smirked. He was sitting by the window in the old study chair, leaning over and playing with something in his hands.

"I'm tired, Damon." I groaned, crossing the room towards the bed.

He stood up and smiled, holding up the object he was turning with his fingers. "Brought you this." It was my necklace.

"I thought that was gone."

He shook his head, grinning.

"Thank you." I went to grab for it, but he pulled it away. "Please give it back."

"I just have to say something." The expression he wore was pensive, as if he was warring with himself.

"Why do you have to say it with my necklace?" I tried not to sound as fear-stricken as I truly was.

"Because what I'm about to say is… probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life."

I shook my head. "Damon, don't go there." I begged, backing away. I couldn't hear this.

"No. I just have to say it once," He said, removing the space between us as he waved his hand dismissively. "You just need to hear it." He settled, capturing my gaze. And then he said it. The four words that would confuse my mind forever. "I love you, Evie."

_No. No, it can't be. He couldn't have meant it while he was sick. I'm not really hearing this._

"And it's because I love you that… I can't be selfish with you. Why you can't know this. I don't deserve you… but my brother does." Tears were welling up in his eyes as he pressed his lips to my forehead. "God, I wish you didn't have to forget this. But you do." At the last words, the tiny drops finally fell and his pupils dilated, compelling me to do his will. He lingered only for a moment to place the necklace on the bed before he disappeared from my sight.

As the tears crawled down my face, I looked down at my closed fist and slowly opened it to reveal what I had been clutching on to for dear life: a sprig of valerian. Try as he might, I still remembered the confession and there was nothing either of us could do about it. _"I love you, Evie."_


	11. The Moment of Truth

Chapter Eleven:

The Moment of Truth

* * *

Tara and I started the new week out with a shopping spree. We went to the discount store on Sunday to pick out everything we needed to make everyone a Halloween costume. Tara was going as a "sexy" pirate, Ben was going to be a wizard of the Gryffindor house from Harry Potter, and I was going to be a Colonial Italian arriving to the new land. Cal didn't really want to go to the party in the first place but he decided he would since I was in the musical for him. He owed me and was therefore forced to be a Colonial guy. All he had to do was rummage up some of his old clothes and he was all set.

Monday was the day of the big school Halloween bash. This was the day that I was going to test Cal's true feelings for me once and for all. While Damon had been avoiding me, coming up with excuses about the council whenever he wanted an out, I couldn't stop thinking about what he'd told me. That was the most emotion I had ever seen him express. I knew it wasn't a lie. I felt it deep down inside of me, inside my heart. Every time I thought about that moment, my eyes would well up with moisture and I'd have to fake allergies. By testing Cal, I could finally make my decision.

Ben and I never did talk like he wanted to. Sunday was his day with Grandma Rose and after that he forgot about it, thankfully. My reply to his "what are you doing?" question would have been even more complicated. _I'm keeping them both suspended in midair until I figure out which one I want to spend eternity with. Sorry if that's a hard decision to make._

Right after school ended, Tara and I put the finishing touches on our costumes before we suited up. My hair alone took almost an hour to complete, let alone the make-up and trying to work a hoopskirt. Those things are deadly. At the end of those two stressful hours I thought I looked pretty good. The dress was identical to the gold one I saw Guinevere wear in Damon's memory and the rest of the look came from her too. When I looked in the mirror, I could hardly recognize myself. If there were any doubts that we were similar, they were all gone now. The only part of the ensemble I refused to recreate was the hat. It would have been impossible to make. It had taken Tara and me all Sunday afternoon to make the dress alone.

Tara, on the other hand, looked like a pirate hooker. She wore a red bandana over her light brown, tousled hair and a puffy, white blouse with a majorly ripped skirt and a pair of tall, black, buckled boots. Charlie was going to have a hard time looking away, that was for sure.

As we walked down the stairs to the second floor hallway that looked out over the living room, I felt nervous. I didn't know what Cal was going to say or if it mattered. The latter had me scared more than the former. When I did, I saw him facing the opposite direction. He looked like a Colonial version of Prince Charming. His hair was swept over more to one side with a bit of a wave. Tara fake-coughed to get his attention and he turned around with his handsome smile beaming on his face. _All is well so far._

I went down the stairs where he waited at the bottom and stopped on the second to last step. We stood there, smiling at each other. "Do you like it?"

He picked me up and spun me around before he set me down on the living room floor and put his lips to mine. I don't know how long we were standing there locking lips but it was long enough to make Tara impatient.

"Come on! We gotta go or I'm going to miss the haunted hayride again and I'm not going to be a happy camper!"

Cal pulled away and settled for holding my hand. "And this is her being a happy camper?" He muttered to me.

"We better hurry," I told him, tugging him towards the exit.

"You wouldn't want to leave without me."

I glanced up at the top of the first flight of stairs and saw Damon standing there in his Colonial party attire. This was a picture that I didn't want to create. The two brothers and their Italian girlfriend together again. "What do you mean without you? I thought you were spending the whole day out of town or something."

Damon grinned and began his descent down the steps. "Only during the daylight hours. I was born for the nightlife and wouldn't want to miss a good party, especially not on the holiday dedicated to me and my ancestors." He sounded like his old self again but I was familiar with who he really was now. No amount of wordplay and sexual innuendos could get the image of him and me together out of my mind. He was more human than he ever realized.

"Where were you today, anyway?" asked Cal.

"That is for me to know and you to… dot dot dot."

"Very funny, Damon." Sarcasm wasn't the main ingredient in my speech but it felt right using it now.

He fixed his cuffs and grinned seductively at me, playing with his eyebrows. To Cal, it was sound like nothing had happened. But the one thing Damon couldn't change is that it had. It had happened and, wearing the locket now, that wasn't about to disappear. "I try. Let's roll!" He said, grabbing his leather jacket from the coat hooks by the door and strolling out into the night with it over his shoulder.

Cal and I laughed and followed him out with Tara right behind us. Then we all piled into Damon's Mustang—which I still never figured out where he got it from—and made our way for the high school.

When we arrived, we met up with Ben in the parking lot. He was standing by the truck in his costume with his hands in the cloak pockets. He smiled at me and waved as I got out of the car. Then he saw Damon and that smile vanished. _What is _he_ doing here? He doesn't even attend high school, let alone Wolfcrest High._

I went over to him and gave him a hug. _Let him crash the party. He deserves a break from everything that's going on as much as the rest of us do. Besides, I think he's becoming his old self again. _"Hey, Ben." I greeted. "I love your costume."

"What are you supposed to be?" Damon eyed him skeptically as he slid his arms through the sleeves of his jacket.

Ben looked at me and gave him an "are you serious" look. "Seriously? I'm Ron Weasley. From Harry Potter… I admit, I'm not that much of a ginger but come on. Don't vampires watch television?"

"And we read, too. And apparently we also participate in the performing arts, although I don't understand why."

"Oh, don't worry about Damon. He's just cranky because he hasn't fed recently." Cal put his arms around mine and Ben's shoulders.

"Your costume looks great." I added.

He grinned. "Thank you. You guys look great too. Where'd you get the cool threads?" He asked, referring to the two brothers.

Cal adjusted his coat and grinned. "I used to go to parties, too, you know. Just because I'm dead doesn't mean I lack style or elegance." He bowed and kissed my hand.

Tara giggled. "Aw, how cute. Come on, you guys. We need to go find Charlie." She yanked on my arm and dragged me in the direction of the gym entrance.

I latched on to Ben and we started a train until we finally entered the gymnasium and Cal playfully scraped us off. We were all laughing and having a good time. But then we looked inside at the party and saw nothing but chaos. At least, that's what I saw. People were grinding on the dance floor, making out in the halls, and a small group of people were sneaking drinks past the chaperones. Amongst the pack was Kristen.

When she spotted us coming through the door, she called to Damon, waving to us in a drunk, high-pitched voice. "Damon!" She flew across the room to us and sprung herself on him. He didn't oppose when she started making out with his face. After she was done with him, she pulled away enough to look into his eyes. "I didn't know you were"—she held back a vomiting sensation and smiled—"coming. What's with the olden day motif?" She asked as she looked at the three of our costumes. I could understand why she was confused as she was hardly wearing anything, posing as the devil reincarnated in her nonexistent dress and sparkling, ruby red horns.

He smiled alluringly and squeezed her butt. "I came to see you. I love your outfit."

_And that's my cue._ "Cal, want to go get a drink?"

He smiled and offered me his arm. "Let's." We headed for the food table, leaving the two nauseating psychos alone. _If that's the way he wants to be, fine._

Ben heard my thoughts and stalked me closely. _Don't you even think about avoiding our talk. I may have forgotten before but it doesn't mean it's not important._

_ We will. We will. Let me have some fun first, at least._ I grabbed the glass of punch that Cal handed me and took a sip. Then I turned to Ben. "So what do you want to do first? I hope you're thinking 'haunted hayride' otherwise Tara may flip out on us." And she probably would.

"That sounds like fun to me." He looked around. "Where is she?"

I searched the room for her. "I don't know. She's probably looking for Charlie. Do you know if he's here yet?"

"No, I got here only a minute before you guys did. We should go find her just in case it's another kidnapping fiasco."

"She's fine," Cal dismissed the idea. "She's over there in the hall talking to Charlie right now. We should leave them be." He took my hand. "In the meantime, would you give me the pleasure of having this dance?"

I giggled. "I wouldn't have it any other way." I put down my drink and left Ben behind to find something else to do. Now that I think about it, I should have stayed or included him more. He was still hurting deeply because of Molly's death and it was insensitive of me, his best friend in the whole wide world, not to see that. I wasn't even second best. I was cold, only aware of my own problems.

Regardless, Cal and I waltzed around the dance floor to the slow song that was playing. All eyes were on us and for the first time I enjoyed every minute of it. They saw the happiness on our faces and the technique and panache that only two hundred years could muster. With every twist and turn, I was growing closer to him, to the truth of who I really wanted to be with. I realized that no one could compare. He was everything anyone could ever want in a loved one. Calm, collected, protective, honest, handsome, strong. He had it all and I could see us together in ten, even a hundred years, dancing just like this; looking just like this.

After the slow dances were over, we were out of there. Grinding wasn't our scene—although, Damon seemed to be enjoying himself. We met up with Ben, Tara, and Charlie and went outside to the ticket booth where the giant line for the haunted hayride was forming. At Wolfcrest, the haunted hayrides were always the best part. We tried having a haunted house one year but some idiot messed it up and we immediately went back to the hayrides. Every year, all the teachers would get together and create this spectacular journey around the school grounds full of chaos, murder and mayhem. It was awesome! Sadly, last year I had been dreading social events so much that Tara, Ben, and I ended up missing the last hayride.

This year, we were blessed with enough luck to get on not once but seven times. Even though it had a "one-time per customer" policy, Mr. Quinton, Aunt Fauna's boyfriend, was put in charge of the ride. He wanted to get on my good side so I would have nice things to say about him when my aunt asked me about him. It was working. We were having fun, watching all the spooky teachers dressed up in Jack the Ripper costumes and the guy from Saw pop out of nowhere while being pulled along on a hay wagon by a team of horses. Unfortunately, we had to let the other students have a turn so we stopped taking advantage of Ian—as he wanted me to call him—and went to go find something else to do. Believe me, our choices were limited.

Eventually, we all broke away in two groups. The three guys made one group and Tara and I made the other. They went off to do guy stuff while we went for a walk around the decorated hallways. That was as haunted house-like as our school got. They set up strobe lights and black lights everywhere which made it look kind of cool. It was the first time in a while that we really got to talk one on one.

"So, how are you and Cal doing?" Tara asked as we turned about the halls.

What a loaded question. "Good so far. I've been trying to see if he's really serious about our relationship. I know it looks like he is but it doesn't feel like he's giving it an honest effort anymore. We never go anywhere, just the two of us. It's always either his house or mine. It's cute and all but it gets old after a while."

"Then why don't you tell him?"

"Because I don't want to be the whiny girlfriend. I want him to take me somewhere because he wants to do it, not because I asked him to. Besides, I'm still trying to test him." She knew what I was talking about. I had explained it to her earlier while we were up in Cal's room making our costumes.

"It sounds to me like you're just making excuses so that he's doomed to fail before he's even had a chance to succeed. He came with you here, didn't he?"

"After I asked him. It doesn't count. I'm not going to give up on him. It's only… I don't want him to be dating me as a proxy for her. I want him to love me for only me. I want him to think that he's being selfish for loving me and that, because he loves me, he can't be selfish anymore. But while he wishes that I could know how much he feels for me, I can't know."

She blinked after me and grew silent. Then she stared and cocked an eyebrow at me. "Where did that come from?"

_Uh oh._ "Never mind. I guess I've just been thinking a lot about us. I know I've been really annoying lately. How are you taking your new… secret?" All this talk about being selfish and it was me I should be calling selfish.

"I'm still a little shocked. When I went home last night, my parents didn't seem to know anything about it. How could they not know? I thought Damon said it was genetic." She seemed to be taking it really hard, harder than she was letting on.

"It is. There's a lot that we don't know about it. Like how you turned when you didn't kill… You didn't, right?"

She grimaced and pinched my arm, ignoring my outburst of pain. "Of course I didn't."

"Well, we both know how angry you can get."

"Not enough to kill someone!"

"Shh!" I quieted her. "Not so loud. These walls have ears, you know." Oh, and they did. I don't know what it is about high school that makes every sentence ever spoken published on Facebook. You can't run away from the book!

Tara folded her arms and sighed. "This is dumb. I can't believe that I have to change into a monster once every month." This is the part where Damon would say something like _"All girls change into monsters every month. It's called PMS-ing."_ Depending on the girl, he wouldn't be wrong.

Merely thinking about what Damon would say, I laughed. When she continued to glare at me, I took her arm and walked with her outside so we could have more privacy away from the pricked up ears.

As we stepped out by the dumpsters, we noticed that the smell wasn't the only thing off about the place. A girl and a guy were out behind the stairs, the girl at the guy's neck. Normally, this wouldn't be out of the ordinary at a high school event except the girl wasn't merely kissing. She was biting, hard. Enough to draw blood. I could hear the sounds of feeding and the silent cries for help that were emanating from his limp body.

I immediately took action, picking up a shovel by the shed and pointing the handle at the monster's heart. I brought it back and went to drive it into her but something was stopping me. I turned around and saw Cal. He was holding onto the metal part of the shovel, keeping me from killing her and saving her victim.

"Don't. Let go." He ordered in a hushed tone. Then he looked up the woman who had turned around while we were exchanging glances and smiled. "It's nice to see you again. Xavia."

She licked her lips and put her hands on her hips, smiling back at him. "It's certainly been a while, Calico." _Calico? She's even got a pet name for him? Oh, this is so not gonna fly!_ She came over to us and wrapped her scrubby little arms around him. "What year was it? 1924?"

"And what a good year it was. Come, meet my girlfriend. X, this is Gui—Evie." Any smile that I could have possibly had for this woman was now gone. He'd slipped and that's all I needed.

Her eyes widened and then she gave him a prying look. "Guinevere is still alive?"

He shook his head. "No, she died back in 1801, like I told you. This lovely gem is Evelyn and she's really nothing like Guinn if you get to know her." He smiled down at me. "That's what I love about her."

Did he know he was saying all the wrong things? Because if he didn't, then he was more stupid than I ever could have imagined. I curtsied half-heartedly and gave my best shot at a grin. "Nice to meet you." I looked back to introduce Tara but when I did, I saw the look on her face and knew something wasn't right.

"It's her."

"As in psycho, vampire kidnapper 'her?'"

All she could do was stare in fear at the woman before her eyes.

"I would have told you but I guess it slipped my mind," Damon said as he joined us. He nodded to the woman in greeting, unimpressed. "Xavia."

"Damon, how nice of you to finally join us. We were just reminiscing about the good old days and having a light snack." My hands itched to jab the shovel into her.

"About that," said Cal as he peered at the limp boy on the ground in the shadows. "You can't do this. Not here. We're trying to stay here as long as we can and we can't do that if the humans around here keep dropping like flies."

She frowned. "You were so much more fun when you were a swinger."

He took her hands and made her focus. "I'm serious, Xavia. It's got to stop or I'm going to have to make you. You have a choice; you can stay here with Damon and me at our house or you leave and never show your face here again." This face made it hard to imagine him as anything other than a vampire. He was serious. There was no doubt about it.

After a moment to process the choice that had to be made, she rolled her eyes and groaned. "Oh, alright. I'll drink the cold stuff but there is no way in heaven or hell that I'm going organic. That firewater doesn't kick the craving, if you know what I mean." She grinned and for the first time Damon wasn't as she put her arms around him. "Looks like we're gonna be roomies, handsome." He must not like when old girlfriends come to call.

"Touch me again and I might just have to rip your arms off." He grabbed her arms until she unlatched her meat hooks, then he let her go.

"Jeez, Louise. What's got his goat?" She scoffed to his brother.

Cal ignored her and turned to Damon. "You wait with the girls and take care of the kid. I'm gonna take Xavia home before she does any more damage."

Damon saluted with a half-hearted smirk. "Aye, aye, Captain."

Then he came over to me and held me close to him. "I'll see you later." He gave me a long, tender kiss and started walking away. "Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow!" He didn't leave, waiting for me to finish the line.

"That I shall say good night till it be morrow." I had to smile at that. He was a hopeless romantic, just like me.

He disappeared with the vampire mistress just in time for Ben to arrive.

"I heard a big commotion of ninja—aura-style—back here. What's going on?"

"Nothing," I replied, stepping up to the plate. _One of Cal's old flames decided to pay that boy over there a visit; the same woman who kidnapped Tara it just so happens._

_I see_, he thought curiously as he peered down at the body. "Is that kid dead?"

Damon sauntered up to the boy and checked his pulse on the side of his neck that wasn't covered in blood. "Nope, he's still alive but barely. I'll quickly drop him off at the hospital and be right back. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." He picked him up and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Ben looked at Tara and said, "Why don't you go find Charlie before he has to go? He threatened Evie that he wouldn't be too pleased if he didn't get to see you a lot tonight."

She nodded and escaped into the building.

He and I were alone again, not something I wanted to happen this soon in the evening. I was hoping for midnight or even eleven. We hadn't even made it to ten-thirty. _Quickly spill it before Damon comes back._

_What do you want me to spill that you don't already know?_

_ First, clarify this for me. He's thinking about Saturday night when he came up to Cal's room and spoke to you. But then he remembers making you forget when I can clearly see in your thoughts that you remember it too. Why is that?_

I added the part of the memory that was reoccurring in my mind where I peered down at the flowering herb in my hand. _I can't forget. Do you understand my dilemma now?_

_ Yeah, I guess. How's the plan working?_

I replayed Cal's "Gui—Evie" slip up.

_Damn it._

My mind sent off questioning signals.

_With this new evidence, you're going to go to Cal and tell him you'd rather be with Damon. Cal was okay but I can't get over what Damon did to those people. I'd rather you stuck with Cal than his brother._

_ But Damon's not like that anymore. Sure, he's still vindictive and all of that but there's so much more to him now. He saved me, Ben. There's no way you can overlook that._

_ There's more. _Ben unlocked the part of his mind to me where all of Damon's thoughts were stored. Inside, I saw what had happened this morning in Georgia.

At an early hour of the day, Damon had started his journey to Georgia in search of an old friend of his, a witch. This woman was one of the most powerful witches he had ever known and he was hoping that she would be able to tell him what he was supposed to do without… me. He was so conflicted and consumed with his love for me that he didn't know where else to turn. When he got there, they exchanged pleasantries and he asked her about his destiny which she replied was a dicey subject to be talking about. They went into a quiet room in the back of her shop and she meditated for an answer to his question, calling upon the spirits to find his destiny. However, he didn't get the answer he had been searching for. Instead, she started rambling about a "great darkness" that was going to come in the near future. Neither of them knew what that meant but it was enough to rattle Damon's cage. He came back and pretended nothing was wrong not only because he didn't know what to do about me, but he wasn't sure what to do about the coming evil.

I gasped and wanted to cry all over again. It was hard enough reliving my half of the memory but having all of his feelings rush into the mix was far worse. I felt his conflicting desires, his pain and, most of all, his love for me. Yes, I did pay attention to the part where something really bad was going to happen but no one knew what it was or when it was going to strike and, therefore, it wasn't my first priority. _Aw, Damon. What have you done?_

_You've got to be kidding me. Evie, he lied to us. Why hasn't he told us about this yet?_

_ He hasn't exactly been around to say anything. Can you at least give him a break for having the weight of the world on his shoulders? He's seriously conflicted, Ben, and it's all my fault._

_ Evie… Focus! Damon is hiding a key piece of information from us. The fact that he is "conflicted" about his love for you is not relevant right now. I'm your best friend but right now we need to figure out the answer to a few of these questions before you start getting all lovey dovey on me. Okay?_

I sighed, unable to think about anything else. _Okay._

He took my hand and brought me inside to enjoy the last moments we had left of the party. It was hard to completely give myself over to fun and happy memory-making. And over all of that, it was impossible to fool him into believing that I was anything other than miserable. We danced, we bobbed for "shrunken head" apples, and had our future told by a completely bogus AP Psych teacher. Nothing could take my mind off of Damon. Ben was right. It wasn't an honorable trait to withhold information that could put the people around him in danger, even if we didn't know what it was. He should have told us.

An hour later, Damon turned up with his floozy, Satan girlfriend. They were laughing and mauling each other's faces off. Whatever angle he was playing at reminded me of how much I wanted to hate him. He wasn't the only one who was conflicted around here. "Let's hit the road, princess." He called to me.

I faced away from him to take my cellphone from my bra. It was the only place that I could put it. I texted Tara to meet us at the car then I hugged Ben farewell. _I won't forget to confront him about it. I promise._

_ Just take care of yourself and make sure he doesn't make you into something you're not._

I smiled and followed Elvis and Priscilla out the exit to the Mustang. Yes, as a side effect from having no real male presence in my life besides Ben, I depended on myself to learn everything there was to know about football and cars. I couldn't do anything miraculous with a V8 engine or replace a break line but I knew enough to know that a Mustang was an awesome ride.

On the way, my phone buzzed. "Charlie said he'd take me home. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"Tara's going home with her boyfriend." I told the driver.

He shrugged and got into the front seat with a "whatever."

I groaned and slid into the back so little miss hot pants could sit by her boo. Why was she coming, anyway? It didn't make sense for her to be there. For a short second, I was almost glad he was using her as a portable canteen. But only for a second. What he was doing was still wrong. We humans weren't here for his personal amusement, no matter how he saw us. Play with fire and you'll burn.

As soon as we got back to Moretti Manor, I bounced up and down for Kristen to get out of my way so I could get out of the car and into the house. Cal was right there and I desperately wanted to be with him but I couldn't. Beside him on the couch sat Xavia, the third person from the top on my crap list. If I had to actually make one of those, from the top it would go Damon Moretti, Kristen Clements, and then Xavia. There was no doubt that she was evil. You don't steal a person from a house one day and become an angelic vampire the next.

Instead, I was forced to go upstairs to Cal's room and sulk in silence. I didn't want to take off my costume just yet. My curls had surprisingly managed to stay intact and I wanted to document this moment. I grabbed my camera from my backpack on the chair and stepped outside the door. "Damon." I called in a normal voice. I knew he would hear me.

It took him a minute—he had to detach himself from his dinner—but he came sure enough. "You rang?"

"Would you mind taking a picture of me? I'm never going to wear this stupid thing again and I want documentation."

"What a shame." He took the camera from my outstretched hand and held it out, his finger waiting on the button. "You're gonna have to pose better than that. Give me something to work with. I'm a vampire, not a miracle worker.

I put my hands behind my back and let my hoopskirt swish back and forth, smiling coyly at the camera.

The flash went off and he grinned. "Perfect. Anything else while I'm up here." He wiggled his eyebrows in anticipation.

Here was my chance. I looked around the hall to see if anyone was coming and yanked him inside the room, closing the door behind us.

He chuckled. "I knew you'd succumb to me eventually."

I sat him down in a chair and knelt down on the floor. "What's the great darkness?"

"Pardon?"

"What's the great darkness?" I repeated.

He was stunned, eyes bulged. "How did you know about that?" He shook his head to dismiss the question and brought his pointer finger to his lips. "I'm going to have to do something about that snitch. If he had been paying any attention he would know that I have no idea what this 'great darkness' is." He used his hands to exaggerate the quote marks. A new understanding lightened his eyes. "What else did he tell you?"

_Oops. He wasn't supposed to ask that. _"Nothing else. He's only worried that you're not telling us something that affects us all." _He doesn't know you like I do._

"You know everything there is to know." He stood up and for a second I thought I saw a change; a flicker of emotion, a longing to be wanted and trusted and loved. But before I could recognize what it was, it was gone and he quit the room, slamming the door behind him.

_That went well_, I thought as I got up and began removing the heavy dress. It almost wasn't worth putting on. I stripped down to my camisole and shorts and placed the dress back on its hanger, then draped it over a chair in the corner. Plucking the pins out of my head, I let my hair fall completely about my shoulders. That's when I felt arms encasing me around my waist from behind.

"You ready to sleep?" Cal breathed between the kisses he pressed along my neck and shoulder.

A smile tickled my lips. "Almost. I've got to go wipe this goop off my face." I patted his hands and uncoiled from his grasp. Then I went over to the bathroom and closed the door, locking myself in.

There was an annoying buzz and next came the banging on the other side of the door. "Tara's on the phone. She says she wants to talk to you."

After an exaggerated exhalation, I opened the door and held out my hand for the phone. Once I felt its hard surface in my palm, I reclosed the door and held it up to my ear, sitting on the edge of the toilet lid. "Hey, Tara. What do you need?"

"I wanted to make sure you got to the house okay."

"I'm okay. Kristen's here for some reason but I'll survive. How are you? Gotten over the shock yet?"

"Not really. I feel like at any moment she could come into my house and take me again."

I tried desperately to comfort her. "It's okay. She's here and Cal would never let it happen again."

"Yeah but what about the other one?" She lashed out.

"… What other one?"

"There were two."

"Two?" My breath would not enter my lungs. "C-Cal," I heaved.

He came to my side immediately and took my hand. "Two of what?"

I gulped. "Vampires. I have to go, Tara. Don't sleep alone." I pressed the end button and dropped it. "What are we going to do?"

"Come to bed and we'll deal with this in the morning." Cal swept me off my feet and placed me on the counter to remove my makeup prior to carrying me off to the covers. It didn't matter how much I objected. He ravished me, nibbling at my neck and smoothing his lips along my shoulder. All of it was enough to drive me crazy to the point of complete disregard. My necklace was in place but it wouldn't have done anything against his charms.

Try as we might, the two of us stayed up almost the entire night in the lustful position that had befallen me.


	12. Vampire Rehabilitation

Chapter Twelve:

Vampire Rehabilitation

* * *

The many days that came to follow were full of routine. Wake up, go to school, go to play practice, come back to Moretti Manor, worry, and repeat. Once in a blue moon, Damon and Kristen would surprise us by knocking about the house with intense indiscretion. She had only just gone back to her house on the first of the month. I'm sure her father, however ignorant he may have been with her involvement with a vampire, was pleased to have her nagging persist once again in his household.

It was February 10th, a Friday. Our last play rehearsal before the opening night was happening that day after school and I was on edge. Thinking about more than one trouble at a time was not my forte. I could barely keep my head above water long enough to realize what I was getting myself into. I had memorized all of my lines, the choreography, and the songs but I felt unprepared, regardless. There were more pressing matters to deal with such as the fiendish Xavia who managed to keep the company of the Moretti brothers without fail. The vibes emanating from her were astounding, to say the least. Unlike Damon, blood bags weren't enough to quench her desire for blood. That was the issue at present. How could a musical compare to that?

Ben hadn't been around the manor in a while. He felt it was best if he kept his distance after our chat. He didn't want his bias to cloud the issue of my feelings and the thoughts that surrounded the place left him weary. A household was not without its issues and he knew every one of them by name. Tara was similarly distant from the house. Our house guest made her quiver in her boots. I'm sure the thought of another vampire roaming through the streets of Wolfcrest wasn't helping either. No one even knew who this mysterious creature was. He could have been a figment of her imagination and we would be none the wiser.

That morning it was just Cal and I lying in bed, refusing to get up for school. The routine was beginning to get to him as well as I. We wanted a bit of change. I would just like to advise you; be careful what you wish for. When you're encompassed by the supernatural, it tends to come true whether you like it or not.

"Good morning," Damon sang as he concentrated out of thin air. "Time to get ready for school, kids."

My hands reached for the blankets and I pulled them close to my throat. "Damon! Get out!"

He rolled his eyes. "If I see anything I haven't seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it. Come on. School's a callin' and time's a wastin'. You wouldn't want to be late and ruin that oh so spotless record of yours." Who made him the immortal alarm clock?

"Since when are you so worried about my attendance record?"

"Since your aunt ordered me to keep an eye on you two," He clarified like it should have been obvious. "Your aunt trusts that I'll tell her when you are getting too serious. Just be glad I'm not slipping it to her about this." He gestured to us and the bed.

"Thanks." Cal was genuine in his speech. Then he grinned and continued saying, "Now would you mind leaving so we can get changed."

Damon thought about that and concluded with a, "Fine." As he went for the doorknob, he looked back over his shoulder and warned, "Don't forget to use protection."

I reflexively grabbed a pillow and chucked it at him but missed, hitting the closed door instead after he had left. "We really need to start locking that door." I stated.

"I did." He enveloped me and pecked my cheek. "He's just jealous that I have the perfect girlfriend and he's stuck with the walking, talking blood bank who has nothing better to do than paint her nails three times a day."

"Is it true? Did Aunt Fauna really call him?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. She didn't really like me to begin with and you've been spending all of your time with me. I can see her getting desperate enough to call Damon and give him an excuse to bother us. It won't be the last time either." He kissed me. As he did, he kept talking. "I mean,"—kiss—"I don't understand"—kiss—"what she's worried about."—kiss—"Nothing is"—kiss—"going on"—kiss—"here."

I held back a chuckle and pushed him away, giving him one last kiss before I stood up. "Damon's right, we've got to go." I scooped up some of my clothes from the dresser and headed for the bathroom to change out of my pajamas.

We ended up getting there right on time, enough to slide right into our seats and unpack our books. Ian called the role and both of us smiled as we said we were here. My personal gleefulness ended when he announced that we had a pop quiz on the new sentence structure. I hadn't studied at all and I was sure I was going to do badly, which is why I thought he asked me to stay after class. Sadly, that was not the case.

Once Cal had left the room to go to his next class as had everyone else, Ian shut the door. The image of the vampire teacher popped into my head but I quickly pushed it out. I had enough vampires on my plate to last me a lifetime. Cal and I had already checked him out and concluded he was human. I shouldn't be worried now.

"Evie, your aunt and I are concerned about your relationship with the Moretti boy. We've noticed that you haven't been spending as much time with your friends as you have with him. In fact, your Aunt Fauna barely sees you at home long enough to have a real conversation with you." This didn't sound like Aunt Fauna to me at all.

"So she made you talk to me?" I questioned.

He shook his head. "Actually, this was my idea. Think of it as an intervention. You're too young to be this serious with a guy and neither of us wants to see you get hurt."

If he was going to start giving me the safe sex talk, I was out of there. "No offense Ian but you don't know him like I do and—"

"You mean that he's a vampire?" He refuted.

I was beyond bewilderment. "How did you—?"

"Like I said, I don't want to see you get hurt. It's better if you don't know."

"Tell me." I ordered, the curiosity and conviction burning inside of me. I had a secret to protect and I wanted to know how this brainiac school teacher seemed to know everything about it.

He pulled up a chair and asked me to sit, leaning against his desk with his arms crossed. "Before I moved here, I used to live with my little sister. Our parents took off and abandoned us when we were younger and we'd been living together ever since with no other family to turn to. When she got into her older teenage years, she started bringing strange men home and I warned her that her behavior wasn't safe. One night, she brought home a man that was less grungy than the others. She claimed that he was an absolute gentleman. He even waited to be invited in before he stepped through the front door."

Instantly, I saw where this was going and I didn't like it.

"Later that night, I went upstairs to go check on her and do her homework if she hadn't finished it. When I walked into her room, he was feeding on her. He didn't even care that I caught him in the act. He looked up at me, gave a bloody smile and leaped out of her bedroom window."

"What does that have to do with Cal?"

He took a good look at me and grimaced. "Because the man that she had brought to her room that night was Cal Moretti." It didn't please him to tell me this either and I knew he wasn't lying.

But it didn't connect in my brain. "No, it can't be. Cal doesn't drink human blood at all. He drinks from animals." I wasn't about to believe it.

"Evie, I don't want you to end up like my sister. I care about you and Fauna deeply and I would hate to see her in pain because you didn't take my advice. Vampires aren't stable, Evie. They're vicious monsters by nature and even though it might look like he's changed, he hasn't. This is all a rouse to get you to draw close to him and then one day he'll snap without any warning. It's the only way they know how to live."

I stood up and glared at him. "You don't know that. Cal's different and I'm gonna prove it." I slung my backpack over my shoulder and stomped out of the room like a stubborn two year-old.

For the rest of the school day, I tried my best to find all of the good in Cal Michelangelo Moretti. There wasn't much to go on. He carried my tray to the lunch table for me and put it away when I was done but that was all I had a chance to see. But would an evil vampire do that? I think not.

At three o'clock, we had our final rehearsal before the big night. The first half hour was spent folding every last program for all of the performances. There were millions of them—which is why Mr. Ornelas let me take one home as a memento. On the cover it had Romeo and Juliet in big Broadway style letters surrounded by a giant heart with an arrow through it like it was carved into a tree. The inside looked like this:

_Cast_

**Romeo**

Cal Moretti

**Juliet**

Evelyn Richards

**Ben**

Patrick Welter

**Ty**

Francisco Cavazos

**Mark**

Elliot Mathieu

**Paris**

Kurt Gimbly

**Mr. Larry**

Corwin Landucci

**Mr. Prince**

Jerry Flynn

**Mrs. Montague**

Delilah Bradley

**Mrs. Capulet**

Anna Unger

**Mr. Montague**

Shaun Van Verth

**Mr. Capulet**

Guy Dempsey

**Abe**

Neil Sabatello

**Greg**

Nic Quick

**Taser**

Carter Abernathy

**Sam**

Nathan Tuttle

**Rosaline**

Kristen Clements

**Juliet's Maid**

Tara Healy

**Bandit**

Riley Casper

**Peter**

Nick Berman

**Servants**

Vicki Owens

**Servants/Friends**

Geoffrey Kennedy

Caroline Noonan

Nikki Allred

Bonnie Grey

Judith Arteaga

Max Romero

Suzanne Cain

Clinton Tripp

Helen Duran

Alan Guthrie

Elizabeth Applebaum

Darren Bachman

Jamie Gilmore

Christian Moyles

Jessie Bullock

Ted Colwell

Kelly Eckert

John Eckert

Penelope Page

Garrett Silverman

Emilia Newman

Ryan Flaherty

Sharron Dozier

_Crew_

Ben Whitman

Clare Ramos

James Erwin

Chris Brant

Michael Thrash

_Pit Orchestra_

David Worthington – Violin

Judy Germain – Viola

Derek Steiner – Cello

Natasha Tuttle – Trumpet

Teresa Emerson – Flute

Tristan Gimbly – Guitar

Jeff Dailey – Percussion

Paul Avery – Piano

Robert Oakley – Bass

Nat Lopez – Saxophone

Alida Burkett – Clarinet

Once everyone had arrived and all of the programs were finished and placed in the humungous box labeled "Musical Programs," the assistant director had us all go into the dressing rooms and change into our costumes. Since Juliet was the rich and popular type, I had to wear a number of different outfits that were all custom-made and more than half of them were pant-less. For the masquerade scene where Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time, the director made sure I had something spectacular to wear—a sleeveless red, floor-length dress that sparkled in some places when I moved. My mask was covered in red and black lace and red rhinestones. All in all, I could tell I was going to have fun with the quick costume changes.

"Heart and soul, people! I want to see heart and soul!" Mr. O yelled at everyone on stage. "Places!" Then he cued the conductor and the overture began.

Here's the Spark Notes version of what went on. At the beginning, all of the backup dancers are on stage singing and dancing about the Montagues and the Capulets. It's basically the prologue as Shakespeare had written it but tweaked a bit to communicate that neither of the star-crossed lovers killed themselves and the story has a happy ending. Then they all clear out and make way for scene two which is where there's a fist fight in the hallway between the Montague boys—Ben, Abe, and Taser—and the Capulet boys—Ty, Sam, and Greg—which ends up getting interrupted by the principal, Mr. Prince.

Next the audience gets to see Romeo for the first time as he talks to Ben, his brother, about the fight and his ex-girlfriend Rosaline. Ben asks why he broke up with the girl in the first place and he explains that she's a floosy, which fits Kristen very well. Finally, they leave and I come on in one of the only outfits that has jeans to talk to my friends who have nothing else to talk about but the fight and Romeo while my boyfriend Paris—it's a nickname, like the kid named Taser wasn't actually born with that name—isn't around.

The high school masquerade is next where Cal and I dance without knowing who the other is until he takes off his mask. Our dance isn't a simple one, either. It's filled with a bunch of complicated steps and the whole time we're doing this vigorous routine, we're talking. I kind of wanted to kill Mr. Ornelas for writing those lines in that particular spot but I figured that wouldn't be a good way to impress him. After the dance is over and Romeo reveals himself as such, I run off the stage in the colossal dress and high heels.

Ben—tag-teamed with the best friend, Mark—scolds Romeo with more singing and dancing—which kind of seems odd to me—because they figured out that the girl he danced with was a Capulet and they all know what Mr. M would do if he was caught. Romeo tells them that he doesn't care because Juliet is the light of his life.

After Juliet goes home for the night and changes into her stylish pajamas, she looks out her balcony at her garden and the fountain that sits in the center of the rose bushes. Romeo enters below and they say the lines from the balcony scene in the original Shakespearean language and break into song about how much they love each other. Romeo loves her so much that he goes to his confidante and teacher, Mr. Larry, to ask for his advice—which is, of course, given in a song. From there, Juliet passes a message to Romeo through her maid—played by the lovely Miss Tara Healy—and her friend Peter who reports back with another message from Romeo that says they should meet the next day in Mr. Larry's room.

Mr. Ornelas inserted the intermission right after that scene and starts the next act with another brawl. This one is mostly between Ty Capulet and Romeo's friend Mark. After Mark gets beaten up a few times, Romeo comes in and beats up Ty. Once he realizes what he's done, he flees the scene and confides once again with Mr. Larry.

Mr. and Mrs. Capulet speak with Paris about his plans to propose to Juliet once they graduate from high school. This is preceded by a song and dance number with the two separate households, the Montagues and the Capulets, where the parents complain about their children and what they're going to do with them. Romeo sneaks in through the window to spend time with his love and almost gets caught by Juliet's mom when he accidentally falls asleep there. After Ty tells the big C about how Romeo has been spending time with Juliet, Mr. C argues with his daughter in a bellowing singing voice. Paris overhears and goes to Juliet while she's in Mr. Larry's room to ask her about the truth. She acts like nothing is wrong, naturally. Since they were discovered, Romeo comes up with a plan so that they can stay together that involves a local scuzz-bucket named Bandit. They follow the plan but it fails miserably and they are once again discovered, this time by the Montagues.

The big finale happens in the high school cafeteria where Juliet is sitting with her friends and Paris, who has his arm wrapped around her. Romeo comes in and tries to convince her that it's not important what everyone else thinks because their love will prevail in the end. Then he breaks into song and she joins him and it's a really cute duet with a spectacular display. Everyone lives happily ever after, even Rosaline and Paris who start making out during the song.

Cal and I were completely into it the entire time, acting like it was a real life occurrence where he was Romeo and I was his Juliet. During all of our scenes, we sang our hearts out and danced like there was no tomorrow. Mr. Ornelas was certainly impressed and he gave the performance a two-thumbs-up. "I don't see anything wrong with it. Sounds like we have it all worked out for Tuesday night. Everyone be here at five for the seven-thirty performance so we can get everything set up and don't forget to bring your happy faces. Delilah, Shaun, Geoffrey, and Anna; the four of you will be passing out programs at the door in your masquerade chaperone costumes from Act One by seven, just a heads up. Get out of here."

Everyone quickly changed back into their street clothes and danced their way through the exit. That's when Damon came up to us from the back of the room with his arm around Kristen.

"You guys did great up there. I almost teared up at the end." He snickered.

"You know, Damon," I began. "Opening night isn't until Tuesday. Your sarcastic comments could wait until then."

He grinned his egotistical grin. "Yes, but what fun would that be. Unless you want me to cheerlead for you guys during the performance. Rah, rah, go team!" The satire was heavier towards the end.

Cal put his arm around my shoulders and turned me towards the car. "Come on, Evie. He's only going to keep egging you on."

_Egging. That sounds like a good idea_, I thought devilishly. _We should stop at the store on the way home and egg his precious car._ As we got to the car, I looked over at Ben's truck and made up my mind. "Hey, I'm gonna catch a ride with Ben. My aunt wants me at home today." I stood on my tippy toes and gave him a kiss with my arms around his neck, secretly hoping that Damon was watching. Then I climbed into the bed of Ben's truck and waited for Cal to leave before I laid down my head, using my backpack as a pillow.

I was working on sending out a psychic signal when I finally got an answer.

_What, no boyfriend today? Did he desert you?_

_ No, pouty face. I told him that I have to go home tonight before my aunt has an aneurism. Ian said—_

_ Yeah, I know. I can read your thoughts, remember? And why didn't you just have him take you to your house?_

_ Because I want to spend some time with you, whether you like it or not._ I looked up at him as he peered down at me over the side and smiled. _I love you, bro._

_ Yeah, yeah, yeah._ He leant me a hand out of the back and threw my bag in the cab. _I love you, too. Now let's get you home for dinner. Maybe I'll join you. My mom's making goulash._ The disdain emanating from the last word was intense. He hated it almost as much as he hated lima beans but he would never tell his mom that. He wasn't suicidal.

_You should. I don't know what we're ordering in but you can't go wrong with anything that can be delivered._

He started laughing but stopped suddenly. His ears pricked up and he closed the door. _Something's going on behind the school._

I took his hand. _Then, let's go._

We sprinted behind the school and sure enough, something very wrong was going on. Ian was standing over Cal's pummeled, mangled body with a stake in his left hand and a gun in his right. They both turned to us when they heard our footsteps.

"Ian, what are you doing?" I screamed, running over to Cal and standing over him. As I did, Ian ran away. "Cal! Cal! Are you okay?"

He was coughing and hacking, trying to speak but too weak to do so. He had at least five stakes poking out of his torso and a couple in each appendage, not to mention a dozen or so more puncture wounds scattered around his body. His eyes were fading away and I knew what I had to do.

I pulled up my sleeve, cradled his head in my lap, and held my wrist to his mouth. "It's okay. You're going to be okay."

"What are you doing?" Ben chided me.

"It's the only way to save him!" I yelled back at him. Then I looked down and fought back the tears as I pressed my skin closer to his lips. "Drink."

Cal coughed some more and slightly shook his head. "I might not… be able to—"

"Cal, just do it. It's okay, I trust you."

He glanced up into my eyes and stared for a long time before he could make up his mind. Then he regretfully punctured the skin with his teeth and sucked away.

It didn't hurt except a little when he first bit me. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting it to hurt that much initially but then it got better immediately afterwards.

The more of my blood he took into his body, the more color that came into his cheeks. After a couple minutes, he licked his lips and turned his head to look at Ben. "You need to pull out the bullets or they'll get healed over and push up into my heart. The stakes too, if you don't mind."

Ben squinted one eye in dislike and bent down beside Cal to remove the small, wooden pegs. He never apologized while he was doing it. It was better to rip them out, like taking off a bandage; no mercy. Once the last stake was out, however, he stood up and held out a hand to him. "Sorry, man." He said with sincerity.

Cal took it and his forehead wrinkled as he helped Ben pull himself up. "Thanks. I just wish you two would have shown up sooner when Xavia was pelting me with valerian bombs. I'd like to know where she got those. I'll send some back her way."

"I told you Xavia was evil," I bragged as I put my arm around his waist to help support him. "Why was she here?"

"I caught her drinking blood from a human and when I threatened to make her leave or pay the consequences, she attacked me. Luckily, she compelled the kid before they ran in opposite directions otherwise Xavia might have blown our cover."

"And how did you do that? I thought you already left?"

He flinched as we began walking towards the truck. "I did. I took my car home and ran back here to make sure you got home okay but then I heard Xavia working her magic and I had to check it out. I'll have to remember to be more prepared next time."

"Next time? If you ever worry me like that again I'll have to grab a stake and kill you myself." I warned. It was hard to walk, let alone carry someone else. The loss of blood was making me woozy but I kept pressing forward until the end of the line. I let Ben do all of the heavy lifting and slid into the passenger's side of the truck.

Before I knew it, we were sitting in my driveway and Ben was waiting for me to move. "Evie… You okay? You look kind of pale."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Come back after you drop Cal off and I'll fix you up some dinner." I got out and stumbled inside the front door. I imagined that's how a drunk felt after their ninth bottle of beer, not that I ever intended to find out for myself. Once I made it to the couch, I realized my aunt was standing behind me in the doorway between the living room and the dining room. "Hiya, Aunt Fauna," I said, smiling at her as I tilted my head back until I could see her face.

"Are you okay?" She asked, having the same assumption about my drunken behavior as I did a moment ago.

I slumped down on the couch until my head rested on the arm. "Peachy keen. What's for dinner?"

She grabbed the cordless phone off the wall charger. "I'm in the mood for Chinese." She dialed the number as she spoke.

"Sound's good. I'll have shrimp with Chinese vegetables and veggie lo mein. Ben's coming over too so you might want to add beef and broccoli to the order."

"Hi, Mr. Wong. It's Fauna." Yup, we were friends with the restaurant people. We were probably their number one customer by now. "I'd like the usual for me and my niece plus an order of beef and broccoli. Thanks. I'll see you in thirty minutes." The place had a policy where if they weren't at your door in the next half hour after the order is put in, the food is free but only if you remind them. They're not stupid enough to remind you about it. Once in a while they would slip up and we'd get a free dinner's worth of food but they were pretty good at keeping track of time with us. My aunt always times them anyway, just in case.

Ben came in while we were waiting for the delivery boy, Freddy Wong, to come with our food. He immediately took the liberty of being my personal messenger. _Everything's okay. I brought Cal up to his room and told Damon about what happened just in case… I'm scarred for life but I thought it was worth it. How are you holding up?_

I was still slumped on the couch, holding the bloody bite close to me so my aunt wouldn't see. _I'm holding on… barely, but I'm trying. Can you get her out of here? I need to wrap something around this before it gets infected._

He smiled and nodded mentally. "Aunt Fauna, did you ask for any chopsticks?"

She was somewhat stunned that he knew what she'd ordered but dismissed it quickly. "No, I didn't but I think I have a few pairs in the kitchen. I'll go check." She got up and walked out of the room.

_… I can't move_, I admitted.

_I got it._ He went up the stairs and came back down a moment later with a large bandage and an alcohol swab. He quickly dabbed at the wound until I could see the impression of Cal's teeth in my skin and covered it up with the Band-Aid, stuffing the wrapper in the pocket of his jean jacket.

I grinned weakly. _Thanks. I don't know how I would have explained that one to Aunt Fauna. She would have freaked._

_ That's what I'm here for._

"Here they are," Aunt Fauna stated as she reentered and handed the chopsticks to Ben. "A brand new pair of chopsticks. Now if only Freddy would hurry—" Just then the doorbell rang. "Up. I got it." She shuffled out through the other doorway to the front door, taking the money out of her pocket as she did. Another win for the Wong family.

The three of us ate our dinner, jabbering here and there about the musical. I was fighting the unconsciousness that kept trying to overtake me. When we were finished, I announced that I would walk Ben to the door. We got up together and made it out of my aunt's field of view before I almost hit the floor. He caught me and brought me up to my room. I didn't want him to go and he gladly stayed when I asked him to. A minute later, I was out.

The next morning, I found myself under a blanket. On top of the blanket beside me laid Ben, still asleep from a night of watching me for my protection. He was so innocent and peaceful when he was dreaming. He even projected his thoughts at me while he wasn't even awake. I could see his dream and in it, there was nothing but pure beauty. Ben was dreaming about heaven like how they show Mount Olympus in the animated version of _Hercules_, with the clouds and the golden gate and all of that. Next to him was Molly who was telling him all about what she got to do up there. Then she said she had to leave and Ben wished he could go with her past the gates to the other side where all of the dead people roamed. She explained to him that she didn't want to see him on the other side for quite a long time, at least another fifty years. They exchanged kisses and then his eyes opened.

"Good morning, sleepy head," I chimed.

He stretched out his arms and rested one on me. "Good morning. How long have you been up?"

"Not long."

"Well, you certainly look better today than you did yesterday when you went to sleep. Your aunt came in while you were sleeping and asked me if you were okay."

_What did you tell her?_

_ That you'd had a long day at rehearsal and that I was glad it was over so you could finally get some sleep. That's why you've been over at your boyfriend's house so much. To practice._

That was a lie but I was grateful for it anyway. _Thank you, Fillmore._

_ Anytime, Anastasia._

I giggled to myself. _Fillmore._

_ Don't even get started on that._ That's his middle name. Benjamin Fillmore Whitman. I love to tease him about it but he doesn't like it when I do. He's not quite fond of the name. It was his great, great, great, great grandfather's name on his father's side or something like that.

I got up and skittered over to my dresser to grab a change of clothes. _I'm gonna go over to the manor to check on Cal. Want to come?_

_ Nah, you two are too mushy. I'd hate to ruin a moment. Besides, I'm allergic to Damon._ He got up and kissed my forehead. "Later, sis." He called back as he left.

"See ya." I closed the door and got dressed for another day. Thankfully, that day was Saturday and I didn't have to do anything I didn't want to do, like go to school and run into Ian. The man was dead to me. I slid down the banister to the front door and understood what was wrong with my plan. I didn't have a car anymore.

Lucky for me, Ben was leaning against his truck grinning. He knew I needed a ride and opened the door, bowing as he gestured to the passenger's seat.

I smiled and playfully patted his head as I got in. _Good boy._

_ Do that again and I'll leave you stranded on a deserted island_, he thought to me as he went around the front of the truck to his seat.

_Oh, you know you couldn't do it if you tried. You'd get there, drop me off on the island and decide to stay with me so I wasn't alone and unprotected. I'm not stupid. I know you too well for that._

_Yeah, yeah, yeah._

He dropped me off at the manor and took off as soon as I stepped through the door. I half-expected Cal to come down while I came in. Instead, I found Damon alone, drinking.

"How's Cal doing?" I asked, not even really waiting for an answer as I headed for the stairs.

"You won't find him up there."

I turned around. "What do you mean?"

"He went off to hunt a few bunnies or something. He's trying to gather up his strength or so I've heard."

I walked over to the couch across from him and sat down. "I'm gonna hang here anyway." I figured I could piss him off. It was a win-win situation.

Cal never came back that weekend or Monday or Tuesday. I asked Damon to do me the kindness of calling me if he ever decided to show up to the manor. Ben did the favor of taking me to and from school Monday and Tuesday. By Tuesday night, I was troubled. Something was wrong with him and the only person who could know what it was had to be Damon. Not only didn't Cal spend every waking minute with me, he didn't speak to me either. I needed to know what was going on but there wasn't any time. It was quarter to five.

Once again, Ben picked me up for the Grand Opening of _Romeo and Juliet_ at ten to five, which gave us plenty of time to get to the auditorium. He left me as we entered to go work the light board. I had to go change into my first costume but my feet felt like they were full of lead. I couldn't move.

Finally, somewhere around six, someone dragged me to the dressing room. I didn't see who it was but I was grateful that the person had taken the time. I put on the skinny jeans and my red long-sleeved shirt. Then a girl came to my chair and added coats of stage makeup to my face.

"Hey, Clare. Do you know if Cal is here?"

She batted my cheeks with blush and shook her head. "I would imagine so. I have to go do his makeup in a second." Then she grinned at her good work and snapped her makeup case shut. "Break a leg."

I half-grinned. "Thanks." I continued to sit around for a while until the music began and the curtain went up. I took in a deep, jagged breath and walked over to the side of the stage, out of sight.

I could see everything from that spot. The dancers were pirouetting and prancing, coupled off in guy and girl pairs. They danced together in perfect rhythm with the pit orchestra and sang with strong voices. "Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of star-crossed lovers make their life; whose fortuitous endeavoring overthrows do with their will bury their parents' strife. The wonderful passage of their undying love, and the continuance of their parents' rage, which, but their children's resolve, naught could remove, is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; the which if you with patient ears attend, what here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend." The audience smiled, searching for the main characters and the people they came to see. It was a good start, but if the leading guy wasn't there, it wouldn't matter. The show would fall into the crater of tragic failure.

As soon as the dancers cleared out, the Montague boys came on the stage soon followed by the Capulet boys who instigated the fight only to be stopped by Mr. Prince. "Boys, if this happens again, I am contacting all of your parents and arranging a sit down." He took out a pad of paper and a pen and handed a slip to each of them. "Two weeks of detention starting today after school." The boys complained, sang a little, and walked offstage to make way for the next scene.

This was it, the moment of truth. Was he going to show? Did Cal step up to the plate? Across the stage in the other hiding spot was a figure dressed in Romeo's outfit. It could only be him. Although, I couldn't exactly tell with all that makeup he was forced to wear so his face wouldn't get blanched out by the lights. I knew soon enough. He walked onto the stage with his hands in his back pockets, kicking an object on the floor that wasn't really there.

"Oh, sweet Rosaline. What am I ever going to do without you? Why did you have to fall for that guy? What was his name? Oh, yes. Paris." His head snapped up in my direction and I could finally see his face, only enough to know that it wasn't Cal. "Who's there?"

Patrick, the kid who played Ben, strolled onto the stage. "I'm sorry, Romeo, but I have some bad news."

He faced the audience, away from Ben, and bowed his head. "What could possibly be worse than hearing my girlfriend has a crush on some other guy?"

"Maybe this isn't the best time—"

"No," Romeo interrupted. "I need something to take my mind off of her. What's the news?"

"Everyone's got detention after school. The Capulets were at it again and this time we all got busted by Mr. Prince."

He sighed deeply. From that point on, none of his words were audible to me. He was reciting all of the lines perfectly but it wasn't my boyfriend. Where was he?

I desperately wanted to ask him who he was but there wasn't time. Between the both of us going on at separate times, I never got the opportunity. After he came off the stage on the other side, I came on. Then came the masquerade scene. As soon as the lights turned off, I ran into my dressing room to get changed into the ridiculous, red dress. Romeo and the other actors came on the stage in their formal attire and jabbered about easing his spirits and getting out there again. Once my dress was on and my mask was in place, I approached the stage with my band of friends and Paris.

Romeo spotted me and smiled.

Ben smiled as well. "I know that face. Romeo is on the prowl!"

"What are you waiting for? Go get her," Mark urged.

Paris turned to me and kissed my hand. "Why don't I get us some drinks? I'll be right back." He was gone.

Romeo put his mask on and crossed the floor to me. "May I have this dance?"

I tried my best to stay in character and turned to my friends who whispered that they would handle Paris for me. When I faced Romeo again, I almost couldn't breathe. Where had I heard that voice before? "I don't know. Can you dance?"

"Why don't you follow me and find out?" He took my hand, placed it on his shoulder, and walked us to the center of the stage to do the mambo while conversing about why we had never seen each other before. Every step was precise and clean, like only an experienced dancer could do. Whoever this understudy was, he was no mere amateur.

Finally came the part where Romeo takes off his mask to reveal to his new infatuation who he really is. He slid the mask off his face as he held me in his arm, mid-dip. Romeo smiled at me and for the first time, I wanted to kill somebody. It was Damon.

I freaked out and pulled myself up into a standing position. Luckily, that's what I was supposed to do but, for a second, my lines weren't the priority. "Romeo?"

"You know me? Then tell me your name. Perhaps I know you, too."

"I'm sure you do but I have to go." I turned and fled the stage to get into my next costume. While I was dressing, I was hyperventilating. If Damon was here, it meant that something was seriously wrong with Cal to the point where even his brother felt obligated to be human for one minute of his immortal life. Something must have gone awry after he drank my blood. That was it. It hadn't strengthened him enough to heal himself and he was dying. With my overactive imagination, anything was possible.

The new stage was set up with a special wheel-in balcony, complete with a vine. I didn't want to do this anymore. I was not going to say anything romantic to my worst enemy and I certainly was not going to kiss him. That's where I drew the line. What did he gain by doing this to me? The satisfaction of hearing me say all those things? It's not like it would mean anything. They were my lines. I had to say them.

_It doesn't mean anything_, I repeated in my head as I scurried up the ladder to my spot behind the house backdrop. _I'll just say my lines, peck him on the cheek and get this whole thing over with._

The lights turn on and I could hear Damon saying his line below in the most perfect, heartfelt tone. "He jests at scars that never felt a wound."

That was my cue. I stepped forward slowly and rested against the railing of the balcony. Once he was through with the first half of his monologue, I took my turn. "Ay me!" I said with a sigh.

"She speaks," cried Damon softly approaching the foot of the ivy-covered trestle. "O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air."

Another longing sigh escaped my lips and I looked up at the fake moon. "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet."

"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"

"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; so Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee take all myself." I felt absolutely ridiculous. I was talking about a malevolent vampire, for Pete's sake. There was no other way to spin that title either.

Damon appeared below so I could actually see his face and smiled up at me. "I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; henceforth I never will be Romeo." _That's right. You'll be Damon._

"What man art thou that thus bescreened in night so stumblest on my counsel?" _A vampire, perhaps?_

"By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am: my name, dear saint, is hateful to myself, because it is an enemy to thee; had I it written, I would tear the word." Each word was uttered as he climbed the trestle up to my side.

I glanced down at him with bewilderment. "My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound: Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?"

"Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike."

With his face so much closer to mine, I could hardly ignore his eyes. His blue, loving eyes. What an actor. "How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore? The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, and the place death, considering who thou art, if any of my kinsmen find thee here."_ And wouldn't I be glad if they did. _My aunt was surely in the audience along with her crazy, vampire hunter boyfriend. I'm sure they could do something about him.

"With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls; For stony limits cannot hold love out, and what love can do that dares love attempt; therefore thy kinsmen are not let to me."

"If they do see thee, they will murder thee." _One can only hope._

We continued our lines in such a manner and soon we neared the part I was most dreading.

"O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?"

"What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?"

The glint in his eyes made me wonder if he knew every single part of this musical, including what was about to happen. "The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine."

"I gave thee mine before thou didst request it: and yet I would it were to give again." This was the moment everyone was waiting for. I leant down to meet his smiling face and awaited the torturous touch that was about to happen to me.

He closed the space between us and brought his lips to mine, removing one hand from the trestle to hold my cheek in his palm.

In that second, all of the suppressed memories came rushing back into my mind. Our first meeting when he tried to kiss me, when he almost kissed me and Cal walked in on us… when he told me he loved me and tried to make me forget. Dang him! Dang him for making me love him all over again. I hated myself for it. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.

Damon reluctantly pulled away and spoke. "Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?" His candor was killing me from the inside out.

"But to be frank, and give it thee again." I touched my lips to his a second time and smiled. "And yet I wish but for the thing I have: my bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite." Another kiss followed. Then Tara called to me and I grimaced. "I hear some noise within; dear love, adieu! I'm coming! Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow." I kissed him once more and went "inside." And thank heaven, too! If I had to kiss him one more time, I was going to throw up. I already had to clean my mouth out with soup as it was.

The musical continued and the end neared. I couldn't even speak to him during the intermission. Even though I had the opportunity, people were preventing me from leaving my side of the stage. They all seemed dazed, like they were operating robotically without a will of their own. I continued to mumble to myself about how much I wanted to kill the eldest Moretti for being so arrogant. Then it came to the final scene and I had to go back on. I was happy for the coming end. Questions had to be answered and soon.

This was the cafeteria scene. I sat at a table—in a burgundy dress and a jean jacket—with the girls and Kurt Gimbly, who played my boyfriend—which I wasn't so happy about, stupid Gimbly men. He had his arm around me and seemed to like it there. In a minute, I was about to cut it off his body and feed it to Tara around the next full moon.

"Juliet," whispered Damon.

I turned to him grudgingly. "Romeo, what are you doing here?"

"I had to see you. I can't live without you and it's been hell watching you with him. Leave him and be with me." These weren't lines anymore. He was speaking to me, Evie Richards.

"You know we can't be together. My father will kill you if he hears we were even speaking to each other." I'm sure the audience could see how averse I was to talk to him. It was hard to hide.

"Let him kill me! I rather die than spend another minute without you. Our love is the most important thing, above all else. It's our life we're talking about here and no one else can tell us how to live it." He scooped me up into his arms and kissed me. "My name is Romeo Montague and I'm in love with Juliet! Whoever has something against it, I'll pummel them to the ground!" Then he began singing to me as he put me down and took my hand. "I never knew I could feel like this. Like I've never seen the sky before. Want to vanish inside your kiss. Everyday I'm loving you more and more. Listen to my heart; can you hear it sing. Come back to me and forget everything. Seasons may change, winter to spring, but I love you until the end of time. Come what may. Come what may. I will love you until my dying day."

I smiled and joined his melody, dancing in step with him. "Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place. Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace. Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste. It all revolves around you. And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide. Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side. Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide."

"But I love you—"

"I love you—"

"Until the end of time." I echoed his voice.

"Come what may. Come what may. I will love you. Yes I will love you. For I will love you until my dying day," We sang together.

Then he branched off and continued, singing, "Come what may. Come what may. Come what may. Come what may. I will love you—"

"I will love you—" I echoed again.

"Until my dying—"

"Dying—"

We came together on the last word. "Day. Come what may."

"Come what may." He repeated.

"Come what may." I resonated again.

Harmonizing as one, we ended our song with these words. "I will love you until my dying day." Then he spun me into his arms and kissed me.

The curtains fell and we all lined up to do our bows. All of the other actors and dancers went forward to the front of the stage and bowed their dramatic bows with their own pizazz added in. Damon and I went last and caught most of the applauding as he twirled me around, kissed me and bowed by my side. Then the curtains fell for the last time and everyone rushed out into the hall to say goodbye to the parents as they congratulated us on a good performance, took pictures with us, and left. Even the people who didn't know me were giving me hugs and saying how well I did. One of the younger little boys came up to me and said I was pretty. All of it almost made me forget how I was feeling and the questions that I had. Almost.

Once I was able to move freely, I grabbed Damon by the arm and yanked him over to the alcove in a perpendicular hallway where they kept a fire extinguisher. "What are you doing here?"

He wrapped his arms around my waist and grinned. "Just stepping in for Cal. Happy Valentine's Day, by the way." He had a certain smell about him, cologne unlike any other, and it was purely intoxicating.

I lost my head for a second, leaning in as he did but I snapped out of it. "Why? Where's Cal?" I demanded.

"Gone." Anger filled his tone and his soft expression hardened. "He's gone off the deep end and I was trying to protect you from having to see what he's become."

"There's no need for that, brother."

I glanced to the side and there he was. I rushed into his waiting arms and clung to him for my sanity. "Why weren't you here for the performance? You're the one who made me do it in the first place."

Damon's voice was grave. "Evie, get back."

"What are you talking about?" I said in his direction. I found out the hard way.

Cal carried me up to the roof in one second, flat. Then his face changed forms and he sunk his sparkling, white teeth deep into my neck, crushing my body with his hold. That's when the details fanned out and pieced themselves together. He hadn't gotten over the taste of human blood. That's what Damon meant when he said he was gone. His humanity was no longer there.

"Get your ugly face off of her." Damon growled, standing a few yards away.

His brother groaned and held his gaze. "And he calls me the buzz kill. You love it when I do this to you." He bit into my shoulder, than my wrist and all the way up my arm.

A raving snarl ripped from Damon's throat and he charged at Cal, head first until he was no longer close enough to hurt me. I dropped to the floor and watched as he repeatedly punched his younger brother in the face. There was the sound of bones cracking and then he miraculously pulled out a wooden stake and shoved it into Cal's stomach. It was enough to hurt without killing him. Then he rushed over to me and bit his own wrist before he shoved it in my face.

"You gotta drink it or you're not going to make it. Hurry. I need to get you out of here."

Before I even began sucking out his blood from his veins, I could taste it on the tip of my tongue. It was awful, like rusty salt water. But I kept on drinking it, letting it pass down my throat and into my system. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cal get up and pull the stake out, grunting as he left a gaping hole in his chest. I reached up and grabbed Damon's wrist to push it away. "Look out!"

Cal flashed to Damon's side and stabbed him. Then he grinned with a satanic glint in his eye prior to scraping me up off the floor and bringing me to the edge of the roof. "I'm not gonna drop you."

My legs were too wobbly to stand on their own and I could feel the gravity pull me towards the pavement below. It wasn't exactly on my "Top Ten Ways I Would Prefer to Die" list. It didn't even make the top one hundred.

"Whoops. Don't fall. I'd hate to see something so luscious go to waste. But just think. If I did drop you, you'd just end up becoming a vampire. Well, assuming that you decided to drink human blood. Wouldn't that be fun?"

_A vampire? _I didn't want to become a vampire anytime soon. That was supposed to be a decision I made later on or in the near future. Not now.

One second I was up on the roof and the next, I wasn't. As I fell, I kept my eyes shut tight and was confused when my body didn't go SPLAT into human jelly—it would have been a step up from being a human jelly doughnut. I mean, I heard the sound of someone hitting the pavement but I couldn't feel any additional pain. Instead, I felt slightly warmer and safe. When I opened my eyes I saw Cal laid out flat on the ground.

Damon took his arms from around me and leaned me up against the building. Then he walked over to Cal and jabbed a syringe into his back, right between the shoulder blades. He flashed back to me and held my face in his hands. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?" He examined my pupils, his face only inches from mine.

"I'm fine. What happened?"

He was hesitant to respond. "Xavia compelled Cal to 'party hearty' and I think he took it a little further than that. Since you healed him with your blood, he hasn't been able to stop. We have a cooler full of hospital contraband in the cellar."

"Is there any way we can help him?" The real Cal would have never wanted this to happen. It was my job to get him back.

"Yeah, but it's not going to be easy."

I closed my eyes out of pain. "Do it."

In the next ten minutes, we got to the manor and Damon locked Cal in the cell in the basement, much like Cal had done to his brother before. It was for his own good. He would thank us later. If there was a later.


	13. The Originals

Chapter Thirteen:

The Originals

* * *

Days had passed and Cal didn't seem to get any better. March began and still we hadn't seen improvements. The valerian had evaporated from his bloodstream and his cracked bones had healed the morning after the Grand Opening. Shouts echoed up the basement stairs and into the back portion of the house. Nothing could suppress it and it took all of my will power and Damon's help to keep me from going to him. He was just trying to use me to get out, like his older brother had said.

Damon continued to fill in as the role of Romeo. Each performance was like the first only I was even more into it than last time. It made me forget about my life for a few hours. More than ever, I wished it was my life and the only problem I had to deal with was a preposterous feud between parents.

I slept at home to keep Aunt Fauna sane. Ian came over during the usual times and those were the hours that I spent upstairs in my room. He'd been absolutely right. Vampires were unstable and without the proper precautions they could do tons of damage. But, at the same time, he was wrong. While Damon had been acting like a complete jerk, I could sense his goodness. It came off of him in waves of pure white. Out of everything he's ever done, I could only remember the good and I knew that there would be plenty more to come.

During my daily visits to Moretti Manor, I sat on the living room floor and did my homework. Occasionally, Damon would either walk through the room to "get something" or stay for a drink—or twelve—of his favorite Scotch. That first Saturday, he didn't even bother to pretend to look for an object in the room. He came in and sat down across from me on the floor.

"What are you up to?" I asked, looking at him staring at me.

"We need to talk."

I falsely gasped. "Are you breaking up with me?" Then I smiled and went back to my history homework.

"Seriously, we gotta talk." His expression was blank, purposely cut off from his emotions. Where was Ben when I needed him?

"Okay," I replied as I put down my pencil and folded my hands in my lap. "And what exactly do we have to talk about?"

He locked eyes with me. "You should consider changing into a vampire."

_Huh?_ "Why? Cal's locked up."

"Xavia hasn't turned up since she put the voodoo on him. We can't know what she's planning but whatever it is, you are a liability. You are too vulnerable. If I turned you, we wouldn't have to worry about you dying on us."

"Yeah, because I'd already be dead. I'm sorry if my humanity causes problems for you but I'm keeping it as long as I can help it." I refused to be a vampire and end up like Xavia, heartless and evil. _Well, not now_, I admitted to myself.

He put up his hands in surrender. "It's your call. I was just throwing it out there so you know your options." He stood up and made his way to the stairs. "Call me if you change your mind."

_Not in a million years, buddy._ As soon as I knew the coast was clear, I scrambled out of my spot and ran down the steps to the cellar to check on my deadly, vampire boyfriend. The call that drew me to his side was not mystical or supernatural; I still had feelings for him even though he tried to kill me twice in the same hour. It's not something that I could ever understand but my heart didn't need to give me a reason. It alone was reason enough.

At the bottom of the steps and down a narrow corridor was Cal's holding cell. Slowly, I approached it and ceased to do so as I saw his face. It was like looking at a sleeping angel, innocent and worthy of praise. His light brown-blonde hair was unkempt and yet perfectly arranged at the same time. How could a creature as handsome as that have any lust for death and destruction?

Without a warning, he appeared at the door. "It's nice to, mmm, see you." The look he gave me was not one of longing for a love; it was that of a man who hadn't eaten for almost a month and was starving for food. He leaned forward to rest his face on the bars in the small window of the door and grabbed those on either side. Pain filled his expression and he jumped back. His face was seared and smoke rose from his skin where the bars had touched it.

I grinned. "I put valerian on the bars while you were asleep. I'm surprised you didn't hear me."

His skin healed rapidly and the cool, collected smirk replaced his miserable look. "So Evie Richards has turned on me, too. Heart of stone. Don't you love me?" This was said in an affectionate tone, a pathetic attempt to fool me.

"Not this version of you. If it wasn't for Xavia, you wouldn't be acting this way. I'm in love with the real you."

"Are you? Are you sure you are? Because my batty senses are tingling and they're telling me something totally different." His grin grew larger. "You have the hots for Damon."

I scowled. "No I don't. You're just high on compulsion."

"Then prove it. Open the door." He countered.

"You didn't say the magic word."

He turned on the smolder and stepped closer to the door. "Please, let me out."

I chuckled and stopped abruptly to look at him with a serious brow. "No. The way I will prove that I love you is by keeping you in there until I find a way to change you back. Deep down, part of you still cares what I think and until you bring it to the surface, this new you will take over. You've got to fight it, Cal. For me." If he didn't, than we could never be together again. I spun around and climbed the stairs back up to the main floor.

Until that moment, I didn't understand how truly screwed up I was. I was cut down the middle, caught between two brothers who both loved me. One used to be a ravenous mass murderer, sleeping by day and drinking blood by night. The other was also an ex-serial killer but at least he was honest about it. The first pretended to be good until he got caught by his old girlfriend and turned into a psychopath while the second tried his best to look evil while he was actually protecting me. Not only was I messed up but I also had a serious death wish. Both brothers were vampires and I was nothing but a frail human, waiting to be devoured. A typical American teenage girl, right?

As I was packing up my things to bring them up to Cal's room—to get away from the cries coming up the basement steps—I was unaware of something very important that was about to happen. Downstairs, as the shouting ceased, a figure approached my boyfriend to offer him an opportunity that he couldn't refuse. Only, he did.

I went up the stairs and stopped dead in my tracks when I got to the second floor. My hands flew up to cover my eyes. "What the heck are you doing, Damon?" He was walking around stark naked. Thankfully, all I saw was his rock hard abs and his muscular arms. I had blocked my view before I had to see anything else.

"I live here. That gives me free reign to do whatever I want."

Next, there was the sound of a woman's voice from behind him. "Honey, where'd you go?"

The smile was evident in his voice. "Coming," He called in her direction. Then to me he said, "I'll talk to you later. Try not to walk in on me again. I might get the wrong idea."

I kept my eyes shut tight as I searched for the railing. I felt a hand guide me towards it and I flinched away. "Go away, Damon."

"Sorry, just trying to help. Don't want you getting blood on my carpet from a nasty fall down the stairs." He wrapped my hand around the railing, his damp skin touching mine, and took it away once the task was complete. "There. You have fun doing your homework. I have a date with a weatherwoman and she's not known for her patience." I heard a faint whoosh.

When I turned back, he was gone. As fast as I could, I raced up the stairs and slammed Cal's door shut. All I could think about was his muscles. Regardless of his most recent actions with the weatherperson from Channel 5, I knew it was just out of spite. After all, I was treating him abhorrently. With my luck, he had probably heard what I had said to Cal about being in love with him and did the first thing he could think of that would piss me off. It was working but only a little. _"I just have to say it once. You just need to hear it. I love you, Evie. And it's because I love you that… I can't be selfish with you. Why you can't know this. I don't deserve you… but my brother does. God, I wish you didn't have to forget this. But you do."_ Sometimes I wished I could forget. His words were clouding my judgment and I couldn't tell what I felt. One moment I'd love him and the next I felt nothing but sheer hatred.

This wasn't the only memory that was floating about my mind. I had never told anyone about it, not even Ben. When I was around him I made sure I didn't think about it. It happened when Damon and I were injured together, right before I was allowed to go but Damon was still deathly ill. He'd been having seizures caused by his treatments as it mixed with what was left of the werewolf venom. He'd warned me to stay away but I refused because I knew he wouldn't hurt me.

I held him in my arms in a comforting sort of way while no one else was around. He held my hand and leaned his head on my chest, staring off into space as he fought the excruciating pain that overtook him. There was a layer of sweat on his face and some of his hair but it wasn't a big deal. He needed to be comforted.

"This is even more pitiful than I thought."

"There's still hope." I urged in a whisper, brushing back his hair away from his face.

"I've made a lot of choices that have gotten me here. I deserve this." He swallowed hard. "I deserve to die." His eyes closed but I knew he was still awake.

I didn't like it when he said that, even though I didn't have feelings for him at the time. Not that I knew of, anyway. "No," I argued softly, staring into his slightly opened eyes. "You don't."

The corners of his lips turned up. "I do, Evie. It's okay." He looked at me even though I looked away. "'Cause if I'd have chosen differently, I wouldn't have met you."

I returned his gaze and laid my head on the pillow, my body parallel to his. I was slightly uncomfortable because I worried that Cal would be listening but then I knew he wouldn't. He was out searching for a better way to help his brother.

Damon saw the slightly uncomfortable look I was giving him and apologized. "I'm sorry. Done so many things to hurt you."

I shrugged it off. "It's okay. I forgive you." Any minute he could die. I didn't want him to die with guilt weighing down his heart.

His eyes closed again. "I know you love Cal. And it will always be Cal." It pained him to say it.

Without being really sure of what I was doing, I snuggled up to him and let him rest his damp cheek on my forehead. It hurt to see him like this. His own girlfriend had gone for his brother and now I was doing the same.

"But I love you. You should know that."

Tears fell from my eyes onto his dark shirt and nodded. "I do." If he hadn't, he would have hurt me long ago.

His lips touched my forehead as he dozed in and out of consciousness. Then he spoke. "You should have met me in 1801. You would have liked me then."

Comforting words were evading me so I said the first thing that came to my mind. "I do like you, just the way you are." I stared down at his face as he shut his eyes again and went to kiss him but I knew it wouldn't be right. Instead, I pecked his cheek and lay back down on his shoulder.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome."

It was a moment I could never lose and I often dwell on it nowadays when I try to sleep. I dream about them both every night. The two men who got away.

Anyway, once I forced my brain to focus on my work, I was more productive. Men would be an issue that I would work out later. Right now, I needed to worry about passing the Roaring 20s unit in History.

Around half past noon, Damon walked in with a tray. On it sat two plates of grilled cheese sandwiches and two glasses. "Eat up. You're going to need your energy." He set the tray in front of me and grabbed one of the sandwiches.

I took the other and scrutinized it. "What for?" Was this a trick? Another way to sabotage my life?

The door opened again but this time it was Ian.

"What are you doing here?"

"Damon asked me if I would train you." He sat on the edge of the dresser and crossed his arms, nodding at the sandwich. "Hurry and eat. We've got work to do."

I ate a bite of my sandwich and reached for one of the glasses.

Damon took it out of my hands and replaced it with the other. "Sorry. That one's mine." He took a sip and smiled, red liquid coating the skin above his lip. "Got blood?"

"That's gross," I commented, taking a swig of the strawberry kiwi juice he had put in my cup. A thought occurred to me as I finished up my lunch and brushed the crumbs off my hands onto the plate. "How did you know Ian knew about you guys?"

"Cal told me that Ian spoke to you about our secret so I told him what happened to Cal after Ian tried to kill him and you saved him. He agreed that you need be protected." He smiled with feigned enthusiasm. "And here we are."

Ian rolled his eyes and turned his head to face the wall. "It's not like I enjoy being in a vampire's house either."

Damon bit into his sandwich and waved it around as he spoke. "Believe me, if I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already." His voice was muffled due to the piece of masticated grilled cheese that was in his mouth.

I got to my feet and stood in front of Ian. "What do you want me to do?" I asked. I hope I didn't have to do anything too vigorous. My body wasn't exactly made for heavy weightlifting or anything that involved stamina—which I guessed was probably the issue they were trying to resolve.

They had me change into an outfit suitable for the gym and brought me to Ian's apartment in his sleek, black Mazda3. His apartment was a good size for someone that lived alone. The hallway to get to his door was cramped but it gave plenty of space for the units. After stepping through the front door, I could see almost every inch of his apartment including the doorway for the hall that led to the bathroom and his bedroom. It was very open. As I had dreaded, in the corner was a setup made for the purpose of bench-pressing.

Ian headed for his room. "Start out with just the bar and do five sets of fifteen repetitions. I'll be right back."

"Did you forget something?" Damon was stuck out in the hall, pushing against the invisible force field that nature had created to ban him from entering a human's dwelling. If it wasn't for the fact that he looked like he was actually trying to get in, someone else would have thought he was pretending to be a mime.

"No, I can't say that I am."

I crossed my arms and tapped my foot.

He sighed and waved him in. "Come on in, Damon."

Damon straightened up and marched in, following me to the weights. He helped spot me as I did the exercises that Ian told me to do. On my last repetition, he pushed against the bar so I couldn't lift it back up. "Will you let me turn you now? It'd be a lot better than working for Fauna's boy toy."

I couldn't understand why he was being so pushy. If I allowed Damon to change me into a vampire, all of my good traits would go right out the window. "Better for you, maybe. Damon, stop!" My arms were giving way under the pressure.

He grabbed the bar and lifted it back to its resting position. "That's the kind of strength you are going to be up against. Do you think you can handle that?" Fierce was not a strong enough word for what he was being.

"If I let Ian train me, I might be prepared one of these days." I replied as I got up.

"Might be. You're gonna need a bit more of an argument than 'I might be prepared.'" He put his face right near mine, staring at me intensely.

"I will be prepared, and soon! Ease up, Captain America."

Ian reentered the room with an armful of different contraptions I had never seen before. He set them down one by one on the table and beckoned me to come and look. Once we were by his side, he began his lecture. It was like I was at school in French class all over again. "These are the tools you're going to be getting familiar with as we train. You will learn what they are and what and how they are used." He pointed to the first object on the left end of the row. "This is a wooden bullet. It acts like a miniature stake. It's painful for them but it can't kill them, even if five of these things go into their heart. They'll work for any gun. This one is specially modified for a .9 millimeter handgun." He picked it up and handed it to me.

I moved it around my palm with my pointer finger. "Is this what you used on Cal?"

"Yes. For your sake, I didn't want to kill him. He just needed to know if he hurt you, I was coming for him." He didn't meet my gaze but I detected a fatherly protectiveness about him.

I smiled and handed the bullet back to him. "Thanks, Ian."

"No problem."

He continued to go through a couple more of the weapons and then we went back to physical training. They made me jog five miles without stopping to take any breaks. Then there was more extreme weightlifting, crunches, and flexibility exercises to keep me dexterous and agile. By the time we were through, I wanted to pass out. We went back to my house for stuffed shells and garlic bread. Ian had missed a date with my aunt to be with me. I helped him out by saying he took me on a shopping getaway to go over my French terms because I was falling behind. I figured I owed him one, and Aunt Fauna immediately forgave him and moved on to a new topic.

"So, Damon. How do you know Evie?" She asked, jabbing her fork into her salad.

_He may or may not be the man I love._

Damon turned on his charm and grinned, looking up at her. "I'm Cal's older brother. When our uncle was busy at work, I was practically raising him."

"I'm sorry. Cal never told me he had a brother and neither did Evie, for that matter. Where is your Uncle Louis? I didn't see him at the school musical."

Louis's death wasn't exactly common knowledge. In fact, as far as everyone who asked knew, he was on a permanent vacation finding himself in a remote location, like Emerson. The story was Damon's idea.

Damon relayed the story to her and she nodded. "And he left you to look after Cal? That's a lot of pressure to put on a young man." Her motherly instincts were coming out.

"It's not easy sometimes but we've been getting by. Our parents left us everything they had and I make sure we use it responsibly."

"You're so brave. I don't know anyone your age who could do that much for their siblings. Do you have a job?"

He took a sip of his wine and placed the glass back in the exact same spot it had been. "I'm a writer. It's easier for me because it allows me to set my own hours and work from home."

"You don't say? Evie loves to write. I urge her to try to do it professionally but she isn't fond of the idea that she might have to be social for a change." I was beginning to think she liked Damon more than me.

"Ah, yes. She's not exactly the social type."

"I am right here, you know," I retorted. Damon was currently on my good side. I didn't want him to end up on my crap list again and so suddenly. Oh, how he could work his magic on a woman. Part of me hated him for that alone. Darn his charms. They didn't do anyone any good.

Aunt Fauna poked at her food and continued with her interrogation. "Where is Cal? Not that I don't enjoy your company, Damon, but I expected him to be here with Evie. He's normally always here when she is."

"I suspect he's doing his homework. He's been slacking in some of his classes and he is barely getting back on track." He was kind to his brother when he was not around to hear it, more likely for his own sake than the sake of the other. Still, he spoke fondly when he did so and it raised his approval rating a few points. It was a meter that regularly fluctuated.

"What a hard worker. I imagine it's because of the musical. It was quite good and the two of them seemed to practice often."

_Awkward, awkward, AWKWARD! Please, Damon. Shut her up or something. Ian, flirt with her about her new haircut. Anything! Just don't bring up Cal again._

As if he had heard my silent pleas, Damon complimented her with a, "This dinner of yours is spectacular. You're a fabulous cook, Miss Richards."

"Please, call me Fauna. I'm too young for titles that involve last names. And thank you. I don't really cook that often but I have been picking up a few tricks here and there when I get the chance. Usually, if I have to, I make food from a box or order in. Tonight I felt obliged to treat everyone to a home cooked meal instead."

The conversation continued and eventually everyone was finished eating dessert, a bowl of apple crisp with sweet lemon pudding—a Betty Crocker concoction I assumed. Damon stood up and smiled graciously at his host. "Thank you for the meal but I'm afraid I must head back home." As Aunt Fauna got to her feet, he kissed her hand and took a step back.

"I brought you here. I'll give you a ride home." Ian got up and touched his lips to hers. "Thank you, hun. I'll see you later."

Damon eyed me and gestured with a look towards the door.

I rose to my feet and stood by his side. "I, uh, need to go get something I left back at the Moretti's. I'll be back later." Without another word of explanation, I led the pack out to Ian's car and waited for Ian to unlock the doors before I got in the back seat.

He and I couldn't talk right then with the vampire hunter there able to listen to our conversation. I wasn't even quite sure what it was going to be about but I could tell it wasn't something that he was allowed to be in on. Once Ian dropped us off in the driveway, however, we could speak freely.

The car left, down the street and that's when he decided to share his thoughts with me. "Are you ready to give up yet? The training is only going to get more brutal from here on in."

"I'm not giving up, Damon. Not ever. I have too much to fight for." _You, for example._

"This isn't a game, Evie. You need to see that this is real. Vampires are a real threat and if you can't take that seriously…"

"What will you do?" I asked, heavy sarcasm in my tone. "Hypnotize me like the weatherwoman and feed on me whenever you please until I recognize the danger of it all?"

"If that's what it takes. And why bring Sheila up? Are you jealous?" He smirked, obviously pleased with himself.

I strutted towards the front door with a rage-filled step. "Why would I be jealous of your chew toy? She has to deal with you and your void of dream-crushing and soul-damning for your own personal pleasure." All I could hear was Cal's voice in the back of my mind. _You have the hots for Damon._ If he had guessed that with his weaker, less developed vampire senses then how much did Damon suspect? Could he really think that we were on mutual ground for that reason? _No_, I decided. _He wouldn't have put that much of it together. _I_ can't even put that much together. Not with a surety, anyway._

He stalked me into the house and chanted, "You're so jealous. You're so jealous." Over and over again, he said this until I had enough.

"No, I'm not. If even a fiber of my being liked you, let alone loved you enough to be jealous, than why would I be trying to help Cal? I wouldn't need him to come back to me if I didn't love him." Harsh, I know but I was distraught. He was tugging on my heartstrings and there was no way to get him to stop unless I hurt him.

He didn't feel the same way about it. "Because that's who you are. You're protector of the innocent, guilty for the weary, and the all-around number one goody two-shoes. You love everybody."

"Oh, yeah? Why don't you drive a stake into your heart and die already?" I stomped down the hall, trying to get as far away from him as possible.

Instead, he grabbed me by the hand. When I tried to complain about it, he covered his hand over my mouth and listened intently to something only his ears could hear. He brought a finger to his lips to tell me to be quiet and guided me to the door that led down to the basement. To Cal.

The two of us stopped when we heard voices.

"I see a bright future for you and me. Come, join me in my quest and you'll be free of this place." The voice was low and severe but calming and respectable. It sounded much like a British person would.

"Not that I don't take pleasure in your offer, but as you can see I'm a bit detained at the moment."

"If I break you out, will you join my army and lay siege to this human wasteland?"

Damon stepped out into the hall and stood tall, bold. "Who the hell are you?" He asked with his own harshness.

"Alphaeus, not that I'm in the mood for introductions. I'll be going soon enough once I get what I came for."

I hid behind Damon and peeked over his shoulder. The man I was looking at was dressed in the same dark hoodie as the man I had run over a while back with my car that had been totaled by mere impact of the blow that should have killed him. This was no ordinary man. Alphaeus was a vampire. On his right hand was a ring with a ruby jewel that was glowing. The power of walking into the sun required jewelry but only a piece made with an onyx gem could work properly. The ring obviously had some strange purpose but I wasn't really focused on that part at the time.

"Leave Cal alone." I begged in a small voice, a tiny mouse cowering away from a mighty cobra.

A glint in the younger Moretti's eye told me that he was registering on a human level once again. The human blood was seeping out of his system, replacing the malicious louse with the boy I had fallen for what seemed so long ago. He was my Cal again.

This would not do for the treacherous vampire. He flipped his brown, well-kept Dimitri from _Anastasia_ hair and focused on Cal with his demon-black eyes. "Forget about the girl and turn off your humanity."

"You can fight it, Cal!"

Cal shook his head and held onto the valerian-coated bars, letting his hands burn to keep him sane. "No!"

"Forget her, now." Alphaeus ordered, more sternly. He saw the smoke rise from Cal's hands and pushed them away. Shouting, he yelled, "TURN IT OFF!"

His face morphed into a tranquil disposition, free of any emotion.

With a smile, Alphaeus quickly reached for the heavy latch and released his new creation into the world. After Cal zoomed past us and up the stairs in a blur, he walked eloquently over to us and got right up in Damon's face. "I always get what I want." As he went up the stairs, he said, "Don't expect him to be home for breakfast."

Once they were gone, Damon turned around to hold me in his arms as the tears came streaming down my face. There had been a glimmer of hope for the boy I had once loved and then, in the same moment, it slipped out of my fingers. I felt like a newborn child who had finally seen her first butterfly only to have a rugged bird swoop down and gobble it up. My brain didn't have enough time to register what had happened or who the man was. I allowed Damon to carry me to his brother's room and set me down on the bed. I wouldn't have had the energy to stand, or even face my aunt after the heart-shattering event had occurred. He called her for me, telling her that I was doing homework with his brother and was going to sleepover if that was okay. Of course, it was and he said goodnight to her. Then his attention came back to me.

"Evie, it's going to be okay," he soothed, sitting beside me on the bed and brushing back my hair.

"No, it's not," I sobbed. "Why did he go? He didn't have to but he did. It doesn't make any sense."

He clasped our hands together. "He did have to go. He didn't have a choice. Had I known what Alphaeus was at the time, I would have tried to stop him."

This wasn't helping clear up the mental picture. "What is he?" I thought he was a vampire.

"I believe he's an Original."

My eyebrows merged into a puzzling line. "A what?"

"An Original. One of the first vampires to ever be created. Only the Originals have the power to compel vampires. Plus, the name 'Alphaeus' kind of adds to the suspicion." His tone was light, like he didn't even care that his brother was abducted by a powerful, supernatural being.

"Great. So my boyfriend was forced into enlisting for a vampire army led by a raving lunatic vampire who is not only a vampire but an 'Original,' whatever the heck that means. You're really helping." I hadn't quite thought about the idea of Cal being compelled. Valerian must still affect Originals because the Powers wouldn't work when he had his hands on the bars. _But if only Originals could compel vampires, how did Xavia do it?_

"At least he's not doing it of his own free will. It means we still have a chance. If I get a clear shot at him, I can kill A-man and Cal will be free of his influence."

I closed my eyes and rolled over to face away from him. "Thanks for the effort but you're wrong. He's never coming back." If I had hope, it would only be yanked out of my hands again and that was not something I could recover from.

Silently, he got up and left the room to let me sulk in peace. I would never be whole again and he knew it.

I curled up into a fetal position and held my knees close to my chest in comfort, holding myself together. To see Cal leave was like watching him die. I had to admit to myself that he was never coming back and my heart felt like it was going to explode into a million tiny pieces. It was breaking, shattering to the point where there was no possible way to mend it. Miserable didn't even begin to describe how I felt as I lay there, sobbing. My heart had died out and involuntarily forced me to feel the hollow emptiness that it left behind. Tomorrow, Alphaeus and his legion would pay for what they had done. They would suffer my unwavering scorn until they burned from the inside out with fury and hell's fire. It was open season on the Originals.


	14. Fun for a Day

Chapter Fourteen:

Fun for a Day

* * *

Gone. Yes, gone. Cal was gone. Not missing, but gone. Life wouldn't stop for me to grieve about it and I wasn't going to. I woke up the next day and began an unhealthy routine. I embraced the responsibility I had to take care of myself and trained harder with a new form of relentlessness. If Cal was going to shut off his emotions, than I would do the same. No one was going to be able to beat me after I grew stronger. I would take vampires out with a single blow if I had to. I was going to become the next freaking Buffy the vampire slayer.

Over the next couple of months, Ian taught me about valerian grenades and stake guns and crossbows. He instructed me on how to use them and what situations they would be used in. We took a vampire dummy to the woods a mile off from the old watermill bridge and practiced until the sun went down. He created all of the contraptions himself or, in the case of the crossbow, he modified them for vampire hunting. Most of them were fairly simple to use but the one I had the most trouble with was the stake wrist-cuff. When it's strapped to your forearm, you punch the vampire's chest and the pressure of the punch releases the stake. I could never get enough pressure. It got to the point where I spent all of my free time training so I could get it right.

At school the Monday after that Saturday night, Ben spoke to me at lunch. Well, he "spoke" to me. He told me about how concerned he was for my safety after he heard my thoughts about the night Cal attacked me. He said that he knew the spell to enchant a ring to remove the curse of the sun and moon, like what was used on Damon's ring to help him enjoy the sunlight. _It would be a precautionary measure_, he explained. _Just in case it ever truly happens I wouldn't want you to suffer. _I ignored his request and went on without it, without him.

One morning I woke up and was forced to realize that something wasn't right about the way I was living my life. By this point it was about May 2nd, 2012—a Wednesday. Damon was standing in the doorway to my room, leaning against the frame of the door.

"Wake up, little Evie. Wake up," he sang, way too perky for being six o'clock in the morning.

I rolled over and covered my head with a pillow. "Go away, Damon. I still have half an hour before I have to get up for school."

"Correction. There is half an hour until you _would_ have gotten up for school."

"What?" I said as I glanced back at him.

"From now until midnight, we are going to have a day of fun. We can do whatever you want to do, anything at all. Hurry and get dressed. I'm giving you ten minutes." He stood up straight and closed the door as he went out into the hall.

_What was that about?_ I got up from under my warm, cozy blankets and went over to my dresser to get more decent for whatever shenanigans Damon was planning on getting me into for the day. If I was going to get a mug shot, I wanted to look presentable. Rummaging through my drawers, I found a nice black shirt with elbow-length sleeves—a luxury I could take advantage of since the weather had warmed up—to go with my dark jeans and black high tops that I hadn't worn since I bought them the previous summer. On the surface, I didn't want to have anything to do with Damon or his wild antics as I would prefer to go to school and head to Ian's apartment afterwards. Deep down I knew that wasn't how I truly felt. A break from my life for a day would do me just fine. It could even be good for me.

In precisely ten minutes, my hair was put into loose curls, a light amount of makeup was applied, and I was out the front door. "Alright," I said with my hands on my hips. "What's the plan, Stan?"

"Maybe you weren't listening when I said it the first time. We're doing whatever you want to do. Don't ask me. I'm just the wheels and the life of this party mobile, as ironic as that might be. You're the one who has to start the engine." He folded his arms and put his back against the side of the Mustang. "Where to?"

I smiled and looked at the car. "Can I drive?"

He peered back at the car, then to me, and finally the keys. With a sigh, he tossed them to me and opened the passenger door. "Get in."

I caught the keys and almost skipped over to the driver's side. I swear I could see Damon smiling as I slid in and put the keys in the ignition. "First stop, breakfast." I revved the engine with a gleeful beam and sped down the street to the main road. If Sheriff McMillan or one of his deputies pulled me over, Damon could get us out of the ticket.

My stomach was set on the Grille but my heart preferred a change of scenery from the usual hangout spot. We ordered a couple of grand slams—pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, and hash browns smothered in maple syrup—and took them to the park that I used to cut through on my way back home from school. We sat underneath my favorite tree by the duck pond and watched the new arrival of adorable ducklings bob across the water. Damon hadn't understood why I picked that particular spot and, for some reason, I felt the need to explain to him about my parents.

"When I was little, I used to come here all the time by myself and pretend I was something I wasn't. I'd play normal for a while, to get away from reality like most children do. My dad died before I even turned a year old. I'd daydream about what he'd look like and how it would feel to hear him call my name to go home before my mother had a cow. Then my mom died and I never came back until…" _Until Cal came along._

"So it holds sentimental value." He deduced, nonchalantly draping his jacket over my shivering shoulders.

I nodded and leaned my back up against the tree trunk, clutching the leather close to me for warmth. "You could say that."

We lingered for a time after we finished our meal out of the takeout containers. Then we walked back to the car and drove off to our next destination with me still wearing his coat.

As I parked, Damon shook his head in regret. "You've got to be kidding me." He sighed.

I glanced through the windshield at the mall and stated, "You said we could do whatever I wanted and right now I want to go shopping. So, suck it up. You get to carry the bags." I got out and smiled vibrantly all the way to the double doors. They were barely opened when we came in but that didn't stop the shoppers. There were at least a few dozen other people who had entered as we did. I headed up the escalator and over to my favorite clothes shop where I normally went every year prior to the start of school to get a new outfit.

I was already in the dressing room trying on clothes when I heard him finally get up there.

"Do you know how long it took me to find you? A whole five minutes. I should have known you would have gone up the escalator. I had to walk at a normal pace which made it worse. Try to stay with me next time."

"Oh, cry about it," I replied towards the door with a snarky grin as I slid a sweet navy blue dress on. "Why don't you go find something to try on?"

"Nah. I'd rather see what you're trying on." A hint of unmasked desire escaped into the words. "Come on." He added quaintly.

I zipped up the back and glanced at myself in the mirror first to make sure it was decent. Then I unlatched the door and struck a pose like a model on the cover of a magazine. "What do you think?"

He whipped out his cellphone and took a picture of me with vampire speed before I had the chance to say anything. Once it was put safely back in his pocket, he smiled. "It's beautiful on you." He waved me back into the dressing room and continued, "Now hurry up and try on the next one."

_Beautiful? Really? _After I closed the door again, I looked at myself in the mirror once more and critiqued my appearance. He couldn't have been looking at me when he said that. I wasn't even close to being pretty, let alone beautiful. Regardless, I took off the dress and put on the next outfit.

We were there for over an hour. Damon kept snapping pictures of me posing in my different selections until eventually I ran out of clothes that interested me and put them all back on their hangers. It was great. I had loads of laughs watching Damon strike a few male model stances himself as he instructed me on what I should do. Half of the clothes were placed in the "it looked better on the hanger" pile while the rest made it to the "I really wish I had enough money for these" pile.

At the last moment, Damon snatched the second pile of clothes and disappeared out of the dressing room. Unsure of what the heck he was up to, I scooped up the other clothes and placed them one by one on the return rack that sat against the wall by the doorway. Done with that task, I stepped out into the store and rotated my head to search for him. It only took me a second to find him.

He gestured for me to come to him and turned his attention back to the cashier as he handed her a credit card.

"Damon, what are you doing?" I asked, gazing at the bags on the counter.

"I told you I would do whatever it takes to make you smile today from morning to midnight. You liked the clothes so I'm getting you the clothes." He nodded in thanks to the lady as he slid the card back into his wallet and the wallet into his back pocket. Then he picked up the bags with one hand and held out the other to me, beaming. "Let's go before I die from the agony of being thoughtful."

Next on the list of things to do was mini golf. It always felt like something you would take your kids to or maybe a date if you're going with a group of friends. I had hoped that perhaps Cal and I would go one time as a couple but Damon was a good alternative. He let me win even though I hit the stupid golf ball into the kiddie pond a few times. My skill was lacking but he was happy to fix that, wrapping his arms around me to place his hands over mine on the putter. I couldn't have imagined it any better. His voice was gentle and his breath was tickling my ear. But it wasn't a date. We were just having fun, two friends taking a break from their misadventure.

Then came the fishing. He couldn't understand "why on earth [I] would ever want to do a thing like that." We rented some gear from a man named Stubs—who kind of looked like Captain Dan from _Forrest Gump_—and went out on the edge of the water to cast our lines. That part was peaceful. Neither of us spoke until a fish got my bait and I tried to frantically reel it in without losing it. Again, he had to help me out. I was beginning to think he would be doing a lot of that.

Fishing was followed by a wonderful horseback ride—my appaloosa's name was Nessie and Damon's black horse was named Blacky which is purely original, without a doubt—somewhere in farm country outside of Wolfcrest. After that, we played basketball on a court at the public playground. That part was enjoyable even though I lost terribly because we were having fun and laughing. The afternoon came and we picnicked out by a huge body of water—bigger than a pond but smaller than a lake. Calm and content, I couldn't imagine anything bad happening on that day. Things were just too perfect to deny.

Mustang man brought us back to his place to commence part two of the fun and exciting activities. There was fencing, the kind with swords and white, protective suits; I won once and Damon won the rest of the time which was understandable since his senses and reflexes were better than mine by far. Preceding that was Damon's drinking game that involved Ping-Pong balls, cups, music and, naturally, drinking. He did all of the drinking, really. I had sparkling cider.

Somehow it turned into dancing. He took my hand and pulled me up from my seat without my knowledge. The song was one I'd heard in one of my favorite movies and, the way we were dancing, I didn't really know if I was with Damon or Patrick Swayze. There was twisting and turning. He must have seen the same movie because the moves were identical to the lead role. I knew some of the steps because I'd been in the musical which included the mambo but he was too advanced for me. What I didn't know, he tried to show me. It was hard. I was too mesmerized by his wondrous blue eyes. It was like staring at the horizon where the sky and the water finally met, colliding in shades of Melting Glacier and Cobalt around the edges.

The song changed, something from Depeche Mode, and we began dancing like a couple of crazy people. We were jumping around, spinning without control of our bodies. Damon pounced up along the railing and shuffled from side to side with his arms up in the air, shaking his hips. We laughed together as he came back down to join my pathetic moving—I wouldn't really call it dancing. He took my hands and showed me a few modern steps. At the end, we ended up only a couple of inches away from each other. That's when I saw the little ring of color around his pupils; it was the color of the leaves. Of Cal's eyes.

I took a step back and looked away, staring at the floor.

His hands tangled in mine. "What's wrong?" Concern. He was concerned about me.

_Damon. Confusing, unpredictable Damon. Everything is wrong._ "Nothing," I replied, glancing back at him with a forced smile. "Up for a game of Twister?"

I could see in his feigned acceptance that he didn't believe me but he grinned and said, "It doesn't seem fair to you but feel free to compete with my stamina if you'd like."

A few times, we ended up in an odd sort of pretzel form and we would collapse as one of us reached over to spin the spinner. Red kept popping up and soon it was almost impossible to stay upright. Sure, it was easy for him. He bent over backwards with ease. I wasn't raised to be a contortionist and was not prepared to win.

Twister wasn't the last thing we did. Oh, no. We played Scrabble and chess. Both of the games were almost untouched, or so they appeared. He creamed me in chess but I got him in Scrabble using the big, complicated words that he just couldn't comprehend. Occasionally, he would try to play something ridiculous like "pongo" or "zergnot" and then we would sit there for a good ten minutes discussing that it wasn't a word. He'd flash a heart wrenching smile at me, trying to melt me into compliance, but I didn't budge. This was one of the only games I was good at and I wasn't going to leave any survivors.

As the end of the day approached, Damon made us dinner and we lounged in front of the television watching old movies. He even sat through the ones that included some singing and dancing with my commentary on how cute I thought the male actors were. It was nice, a perfect friendship. Somehow we got talking.

"How old are you?" I asked out of the blue.

The question confused him. "Why?"

I shrugged. "I just want to know."

He stared at me with a quizzical brow, his mouth a straight, stern line. "I'm two hundred and thirty-three years old. I was twenty-two when I died." From the serious look on his face, he didn't want to tell me but then again it was a question that had to be answered. He didn't know how I would take the news.

"When were you born?"

"January 1st, 1779."

"Does that mean you lived through the American Revolution?" My voice perked up. That was the coolest thing ever!

When he realized that I wasn't frightened or disgusted by his age, he lightened up as well. "Yup. As soon as I was of age, General Washington handpicked me to be in his troops."

"Are you for real?"

"Mhm." He beamed, his ego slightly heightened by the positive attention he was receiving.

"That's so cool!" I grinned at him and, gradually, the corners of my lips turned down. "How come we never celebrated your birthday?" It would have been two months ago from yesterday and we hadn't even acknowledged the date.

A happy face turned reluctant, another familiar expression. "It's not important. I had my celebration."

My jaw dropped and I almost felt cheated out of an experience that I was meant to have. "And I wasn't even invited?" I asked astoundingly.

"I think you were a little busy riding the brother train to musical land." His eyes glued themselves to the television. "Let's just watch the movie." He suggested. Then during a particular love song that took place on top of an elephant, he held my hand.

At first it was sort of automatic. I leaned onto his chest and watched the movie without thinking at all. Then I realized what was happening and I got up. "I gotta go." I stated, then headed for the door.

He was on his feet in no time. "Why do you have to go? Your fun day isn't over yet. There's still plenty of time."

"I'm not saying I won't be back. I just have to stop by Ben's house. I completely forgot. I was supposed to visit him earlier before training with Ian but I…" Our eyes met and my words couldn't quite form. Once I pulled myself together, I opened the door and walked out with the keys to the Mustang. "I'll be back in about an hour, tops." I had to talk to someone before I passed the point of no return.

Damon stood in the doorway as I got in the car and drove away. He was very good about giving me what I needed, even if that wasn't what I wanted at the time. Separation from him for a moment was his gift to me. An hour with my thoughts.

I parallel parked by the curb and sprinted to the front door.

It gave way without a single move of my own forcing it to do so. Ben had heard my mind screaming as I came up the walkway and he met me by the step. "Evie, Evie, Evie. You never learn."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let me in." I pushed past him and jogged up the stairs so we could talk in private away from prying ears.

He followed me up and closed the door as he came in behind me. _Alright. Which part do you want to talk about?_ He asked, sounding almost weathered.

_None of it. I don't want to talk about it at all. I decided you're right. I should carry that ring around as a precaution. You never know what will happen around these people._

_ That's your problem, Evie. You've forgotten. They're not people. They live outside of our world, doing what they want with whomever they want and we just have to accept it. _He went over to his dresser and picked up a ring from on top. He turned about and handed it to me. _I've already enchanted it for you. I figured you would want it eventually once something had happened between you and the big cheese._

_ Damon's different. I think I really like him, Ben, but I'm never certain. Every time I look at him, I think of Cal and it's not fair. _I flopped onto the bed and sighed. _My life is spiraling down a big black hole and the one person who really cares what happens to me can't tell me the truth. I know he's hiding something from me. I can see it when he speaks to me._

_ Why haven't you told him that you know about the night when you were supposed to forget?_

_ I can't tell him! I just kind of want to roll over and die. I was doing great until today. Wake up, go to school, kick butt with Ian, do my homework, and go to bed. It was working for me. Then Damon had to start caring and—_

_ Yeah, I know. Then you went head over heels for him. I know the feeling._

I looked at him with intrigue. _Oh, really? And who is this mystery girl? Do I know her?_

_ We're not talking about me. _He gave me the ring and had me put it on. _Now, what's the pompous going to do?_

_ What do you mean?_

_ You said it yourself. He's hiding something and at the moment he's the one your heart has set itself on. Don't you think you should find out what it is he's hiding from you? What if it's got somethin' to do with Cal?_

Cal. It all comes back to the no-good son of a gun who decided to go heartless on me and prance off with some undead recruiter vamp from the British Isles. Not this time. _Never mind about that. How does this thing work anyway?_ I shifted my hand in the light and let the metal shine. Staring at the gem in the center was like staring into the dark abyss, getting lost in an eternal midnight.

He took my hand and shook it lightly in the light of the lamp. _The same as Damon's, I think. Any vampire who wears a ring like this can walk out into the light. All they have to do is keep it on their finger at all times. It doesn't work unless you're wearing it. No one else can take your ring and use it for themselves. Only you can be protected by it. _Then he smirked. _I added a boost of energy to help with the… cravings. It won't do much but it will restrain them enough to let you get out of a nasty situation until you have time to eat a bear or whatever. Also, if something tries to kill you using a wooden stake or anything that could puncture your heart you won't die._

_ What? You can really do that?_

_ Well, we won't know for sure unless you become a vampire and test it out but I'm pretty sure. It should work._

_ Great. _I got up and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, not knowing that this would be one of the last times that I would see him. With the delicate onyx ring on my right middle finger, I sped to the car without ever looking back. Not once. Today, I would give anything to see him again, to have a memory of seeing his face as I walked out the door. But I have nothing.

As I jumped in the Mustang and drove toward Moretti Manor, my eyes overflowed with tears as if I knew something awful was approaching. My mother used to call me her little weathervane. Once in a while I would have a moment where I knew there would be a knock at the door or a sudden rainfall and she would smile. To me, it was a coincidence. In fact it probably was a coincidence but that didn't mean anything now. I couldn't stop crying. Cal's name echoed through my mind and it took every ounce of what concentration I had left to get me the rest of the way there.

I stumbled out of the car, blubbering uncontrollably. When I walked into the house, all I wanted was to tell Damon. Maybe he could do something about it, take the pain away. He wasn't on the couch in the living room so I climbed the stairs to the second floor where I knew his room would be. From there I didn't know what to do. I cried out.

"Damon!" I called. It was pathetic sounding, choked out like a young one who had scraped their knees on the sidewalk while they were playing and cried for their parents.

"In here." His voice echoed through the hallway from the first door on the right past the landing that looked over the living room.

With my eyes only partially open, I trudged into his room. The instant I saw his form standing by his dresser, I ran to him and buried my face in his black, button-up shirt. Words escaped me. All I could do was sob.

He cradled my head with his left hand and rested it on his shoulder. His other arm wrapped around my torso to keep me steady, to show me that he had me.

Through the crying and the tears, a sense of peculiar detail filled my subconscious. I took a mental note of everything down to the last candle. I was in Damon Leonardo Moretti's bedroom. It's true that for a few women, that wasn't a big deal or anything like it but it meant a great deal to me. This was a place that he was willing to share with me in my time of need. He let me stand on the antique hardwood floor and inhale the scent of apple cinnamon from the candles burning on the dresser, the table, and on the nightstands. The candles were the only source of light apart from the moonlight that filtered in through the tree outside his window. His bed was humungous, maybe even bigger than a king-sized bed, with black sheets and throw pillows to match. It was the only modern piece of furniture in the room but it still managed to fit alongside those that no doubt came from his childhood. It was exactly what I pictured a vampire's bedroom to look like, complete with a crystal bottle and matching glasses that sat on a bar along the wall.

Then my thoughts grew more localized on my sense of touch and hearing. Damon held me so close that I could feel his muscles surrounding me in a protective suit of armor. As the sobbing grew quieter, he whispered, "I'm so sorry it had to end this way. I only wanted to see you smile. I thought that if we did everything you ever wanted to do you'd be happy. I should have known it would take more than that." He began to rock me gently back and forth. "Know that I will always protect you, no matter what it takes. Even if I have to protect you from yourself. I will never let anyone hurt you ever again."

Through the water in my eyes, I saw a memory. Our memory. Damon and I were standing in front of each other and he was confessing to me of the greatest thing I had ever hoped could have come from his lips. _"I love you, Evie. And it's because I love you that… I can't be selfish with you. Why you can't know this. I don't deserve you…"_ I knew without Ben's helpful hints that he truly loved me, that this was real. Inside he was still torturing himself over a decision that was never his to make in the first place. He stood by every day hoping that I would see this for myself but dreading the day that he might take that first step and betray his brother.

Was his brother here? No. Would it have made a difference if he was? Maybe. But the truth was he still wasn't present. He couldn't claim his prize. Damon deserved a lot more than he gave himself credit for. He repeatedly saved my life from vampires and heartache that I couldn't count them anymore. He did it without any hope of praise or reward, thinking that one of the things that he would have asked for in return was far out of his reach.

In that second, I had decided. I don't mean the flimsy kind of decided that I seemed to be time and time again. I mean there was no way that I was turning back. Cal was a part of my life that no longer existed. As far as I knew, he was half way to Timbuktu and he could stay there. I wouldn't have cared. He wasn't my Cal anymore. He was a new, heartless, bloodthirsty wretch that stood loyally beside his master like a faithful pet. My Cal was gone.

No, instead my mind was set on only one man: Damon. He had spent the entire day giving me whatever I wanted regardless of what he thought of the idea. I would end the day by returning the favor.

I slowly stroked the arm that held my head and mildly pulled away until I could barely see his face in the dim light. My free hand twisted about his neck until there was nothing to keep us apart.

For a moment, we were seamlessly motionless. His eyes penetrated mine with a simple glance and we could communicate without speaking. It wasn't like Ben and I, the way we took advantage of his ability as a warlock to use telepathy at will. There was a bond that linked our minds together, forming them into one brain and one thought. We knew what the other was thinking because it was the same. There were no longer any secrets. It was only us.

His hand glided down my cheek to rest his thumb on my chin. Then a smile, a miraculous beam, filled his whole expression from his lips to his unwavering gaze. As he sluggishly leant his face closer to mine, my body pulsed, anticipating what was to come and enjoying the suspense. Nothing could have prepared me for it.


	15. Reborn

Chapter Fifteen:

Reborn

* * *

Damon moved the final two inches and touched his lips to mine after careful consideration of what we were about to do. As we moved in symmetrical motions, I pictured thousands of fireworks filling the room with spectacular colors. It was nothing like my first kiss with Cal. It was so much better.

This was the first time I could see his face when he was kissing me and I was certain that he meant it. It wasn't about wanting anymore, but needing. Our life forces were keeping each other alive and the only way they could be shared was through the exchange of kisses. Our hands latched onto the other's hair and no one could tell what part came from which person. We were the same body; one mind, one soul, and one form. My eyelids were closed but I didn't need to see his face to know what it looked like, though all I wanted to do was gawk at him for hours.

He picked me up and suddenly the wind blew through our hair.

I split apart from him to see what was going on and saw we had gotten to the roof, a widow's peak. On the flat surface was a bench and we sat down together, kissed some more, and watched the starry night turn into a beautiful sunrise.

"Midnight has come and gone and still you stay with me?" He was perplexed.

"I couldn't imagine sitting next to anyone else for an eternity." I smiled and chuckled quietly at myself. "I'm sorry. That does sound horrendously selfish, but it's true."

Damon laughed lightly. "Selfish. Absolutely selfish. Tell me how long you've felt this way and we'll see how selfish you really are." He took my hands in his and held them close to his heart.

_Since the night you told me to forget and the memory remained. _"Since the grand opening of the musical, maybe before that. It's hard to say."

"And all of this time you didn't think I should know?"

I shook my head slightly with a grin. "I did tell you. You simply weren't listening." I pecked his lips and sat up against him to get a better view of the orange hues that were reaching out through the sky.

His arms wrapped around me like a proper boyfriend would do. "You should be getting ready for school soon."

I chortled. "Yes, mother. Do you feel up to driving me there?" Heck. Cal enrolled in high school to be with me. The least he could do was take me there, since he was too old to pass as a student.

"It would be my pleasure. You've got plenty of spare clothes here. I'll meet you in the kitchen for breakfast when you're ready." We exchanged one last kiss before he brought me to the room and disappeared without a trace.

I quickly got ready and fled down the stairs to see him working away on the stovetop. We took our time with the meal—as there was plenty of time to spare before homeroom began—and raced to the Mustang, jumping over the side of the car to get in. Damon had gotten my school things while I was at Ben's house so I was ready to start one more boring day of educational nonsense.

As we got into the student parking lot, Tara saw us in the convertible with the top down. She also saw us smiling uncontrollably. We weren't about to kiss in public—it was none of their business—but somehow she knew what was going on. Ben's presence didn't help the situation. The moment I got out of the car, said a thank you and goodbye to Damon and saw him drive away, the two of them were on my case.

"What in the world is wrong with you? That's Damon. Damon Moretti. Are you out of your mind?"

I ignored her and went towards the school. "I don't know what you are talking about but I know who that is."

"Evie! Come back here! We're not done talking to you!" Ben called after me.

_Leave it be, Benjamin. I know what I'm doing. _I sent the message back to him, hoping it would stop the pestering.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tara shouted. Ben's gift only confirmed the intense loathing that she had for Damon but I already knew. They were destined enemies from birth. Werewolves never liked vampires.

Ben held her back by the shoulders and led her off in the other direction. _Be safe_, he pleaded mentally.

_I will._

After French class, Ian asked me why I hadn't shown up to our training session yesterday or school. I had perfect attendance for the last couple of months and then I had thrown in the towel. I told him I had needed a serious break from my life but I was okay now. He returned the comment with a, "You don't take breaks. You've never taken a break. Training was your getaway." He thought I was ill or maybe something had happened to me that I wasn't telling him about. I suppose both accusations would have been true. I was lovesick and I kept it from him because he didn't have to know about it. Some things could remain a secret, around Ian at least.

At lunch, neither Tara nor Ben would speak to me. It got so terrible that I left the cafeteria early just to get away. I wasn't sure how a single moment could have caused this much heartbreak but it wasn't about to be mended either.

Once school had ended, I shot out the double doors for my salvation and I soon found it. Damon was waiting for me with a smile that made me forget about anything and everything. From the second I got into the vehicle, I was a new woman. Like Romeo had said in the musical, as long we had love there was nothing that could stand in our way.

He took me to my house and left me with only a kiss. After his departure, I entered my house and jumped up and down, waving my hands in the air. I'd done it. Everything I had wanted to accomplish in mine and Damon's relationship was completed. We could move on. Maybe, after graduation, we would leave or hide or escape. The two of us could do whatever we wanted and thanks to last night we could do it together. One day, I might be like him and we would be together for an eternity. Our world would hold endless possibilities. Or so I thought.

After Damon had dropped me off that evening, I didn't see him for two days. Distancing would be an understatement. He was avoiding me. And why? Because of a kiss? He wasn't making any sense. Both of us knew how we felt about one another and yet he denied it ever happened. I was still the lonely girlfriend of his deserted brother and he was the mysterious bachelor of Wolfcrest.

Saturday came by and then I'd had it. If he was going to ignore me, I had the right to know why. Without a car I was forced to take my old bicycle to the Manor. By the time I got there, I was out of breath and yet strong enough to yell for hours if it was necessary. I searched high and low for him, perusing the entire house until I came up short. Then I decided to check the grounds and, sure enough, I found him going out the back door casually walking towards the garden in the backyard. Now that I could see him, there was no way he could leave without driving me to think that something was wrong.

I chased after him as his pace accelerated. "Why are you ignoring me, Damon?" I called with frustration. When he didn't answer, I took a new but similar approach. "I bet you just wanted to forget all about what happened," I began, trying to trick him into compliance using the basic "guilt-trip" technique. "Then you can get back to your old lifestyle. I'm sure the girls in town would be thrilled to hear the news."

We reached the enclosure of tall rose bushes and decorative hedges. That's where he spun around on his heel and met my gaze, only inches from my face. "You know for a fact that that's not true. I've just been trying to set up some… boundaries." His tone was severe but underneath the masculine vibrato I could hear how upset my words made him.

"Boundaries? I wouldn't call them 'boundaries,'" I sneered, using air quotes around the term. "You've been avoiding me like the plague. Why don't you tell me what this is really about so I can get out of your hair?"

"I don't want to betray my brother!" Damon yelled in my face. "Okay?" He went on more contained, but frustrated nonetheless. "He may be in Virginia or Michigan or Tibet but he's still out there and it wouldn't be right to go behind his back. The old Cal would be devastated and you might think I'm Don Juan but I'm still his old-fashioned elder brother and nothing can change that."

I wasn't buying it. Yes, he did mean some of it but I knew him well enough to know that he didn't believe that Cal existed anymore. His brother wouldn't be that big of an issue. Something else was on his mind. I folded my arms and shifted my weight to one hip. "If you don't want to tell me, I'll leave."

"You don't believe me?" He seemed astonished and yet also unsurprised.

"Not even for a second. I know you too much for one of your lame cover-up stories."

A grimace crossed his lips and he grasped my hands, gazing deeply into my eyes. "Your parents."

"My parents?" I wasn't following.

He nodded his heavy head. "Do you remember how they died?"

That was a dumb question. He knew I did. "Yeah… What does this have to do with anything?"

He lifted a finger to my lips. "The other day, you were talking about the spot by the duck pond and your mother's death and it got me thinking. After you invited me in that first night, I kept coming back while you were sleeping. At first it was to torture you in your dreams but then I realized that I was doing what I was doing because I loved you and I couldn't stand that Cal got to be with you instead of me. I listened to you talk as you dreamt and one night you had a dream about the day your mother died. The EMTs told you that she'd had a bad fall down the stairs." He let go of me and shoved his hands in his front pockets. "But that's not exactly what happened."

My brain must not have been functioning because I remained absolutely clueless of what was being said. _How could he know what happened that afternoon? He's not making any sense. Is this some sort of a cruel joke? If so, what did I do to deserve it?_

"While you were off playing, your mom was working home by herself. She wasn't really in the mood to cook dinner that night so she ordered a pizza. The doorbell rang and she assumed the person at the door was the delivery guy so she opened the door and invited the person in without looking up to see who it was. She was heading into her office to get her wallet and that's where she died. She tried to scream but her mouth was covered until she no longer had the desire to scream. An hour later, once the person had his fill of her, she was tossed down the stairs."

Drops of moisture glided down my cheek as the scene played out in my head. A vampire did this to me and I was too young to know what had really taken place in my own house.

His face filled with dread as he saw the effect of his words. "I didn't put it together until the other day."

"But you said parents," I reminded him through my tears.

"Earlier that decade, I had visited another house filled to the ceiling with humans who were drowning in alcohol. When I tried to dispose of the evidence that I had been there, I ended up setting the whole building on fire. I sat around and waited for the others to come to the rescue and sure enough they came. One of them was alone and I picked him off, not thinking twice about it. I realize now who it was and what I've done." He never looked away, staying strong until the end as usual. "I don't expect you to forgive me. Just putting everything down on the table right now before you get hurt." And he did a pretty good job of getting it all out there, too. In his sad, blue eyes I could see the pain that he felt as he spoke, like he knew the outcome of his words and he was dreading them.

For me, the feeling was mutual. Mourning for the death of my parents' murder was natural, healthy even. But I didn't want that to stand in my way. I had my time to mourn properly for them a long time ago and the man who stood before me now wasn't the same man who killed them. The man in front of me had changed from a malicious vampire to a vampire with humanity. I was having trouble controlling myself from comforting him. I didn't know if that's what he wanted. Instead, I cupped his cheek with one hand and rubbed the wetness on his face away with the other. "Careful. Your humanity is showing."

His hand covered mine easily and he shook his head in bewilderment. "You make me crazy, you know that?"

"I figured as much." I pulled his head down to my level and urgently pressed my lips to his, unable to withstand the temptation for another second. I wanted to feel the velvety feeling of his lips, the soft, gentle touch of his skin. Our fingers entwined and our spare arms wrapped around each other's torsos. And then I felt complete indifference about what the future held for me as long as every second of it had him in it.

He tore himself away to smile at me. "I can learn to be a non-living, living person. If that's what you want. You don't have to turn for me."

I smiled back at him and replied, "We have plenty of time to have that discussion later." I latched myself onto him again and made sure he couldn't leave. Had I known that someone was watching us, I would have been a little more eloquent about it.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here."

Damon picked me up off my feet and placed me behind him in one swift motion. "Who did you expect to find? This is my house."

Alphaeus took a step forward and peered down at the small object in his right hand. "It appears this damn thing is broken." He glanced up at us then back down to the gadget. "Take the girl."

Another vampire came up behind me and carried me a couple yards away. His arm was around my neck, ready to snap it at the slightest movement. I didn't have to see his face to know who it was. A low chuckle erupted from his throat. "So, going for my older brother, aye? Tough break."

"Put her down, Cal!" Damon growled.

"Why? So she goes running over to you? That's not likely."

"Hush, Cal." Alphaeus was bent in concentration. He looked up at me with a shocked, deadly smile. "Have you changed her, young Damon?" He walked up to me and rotated my head with his free hand. "No, I can smell her mortality. Her heart is still beating… Are you a werewolf?"

"Not since last I checked," I sneered, trying not to struggle.

He kept examining me and peered down at his gadget. Now that he was closer, I could see that it was some sort of compass but it wasn't pointing north. "That is certainly peculiar. You're not a witch or a werewolf or a vampire. Then what are you? You have to be something else. Something I've never seen."

What did he mean by that? How could a compass tell that? And why? "English would be preferable, thanks."

"Oh, pardon my rudeness. I'm simply amazed. I've never seen anything like you before. My ring," he began, showing his closed fist so that I could see the glowing jewelry. "Alerts me when this gadget detects something." He held up the compass. "It points to supernatural creatures like me, but the indicator is pointing at you. This device was enchanted by a very powerful witch and has never steered me wrong which means that you must be a creature that no one has discovered." He smiled gleefully. "Oh, Cerebella is going to love you."

I wanted Damon to flee for the first time in his life. I wanted him to go as fast as he could in any direction. They didn't want him. For some unknown reason, they were looking for me.

As if he could read minds, Alphaeus steered toward him and called past into the trees. "Bring him along. We have a ceremony to complete."

I began wriggling, trying to get away from Cal and save Damon from the creatures that were slipping out of the cover of the forest and into the moonlight.

In the same second, he ripped the necklace, tossed it into a hedge, and stared with concentration into my eyes. "You are feeling sleepy. You want to go to sleep."

I tried to fight the approaching unconsciousness and staggered a step backward. A moment later, my heavy lids closed and I felt the gravity pull me towards the ground.

When I awoke, I was laying on the grass in the middle of an open patch of field surrounded entirely by trees. This wasn't the only thing I was surrounded by. In every direction at certain intervals, there were people standing in a circle around me. I searched the area and found what I was looking for. Damon was tied up to a tree, his complexion almost bleached. He was mumbling something but I couldn't make it out.

Finally, he saw that I was once again conscious which caused him to begin a nonstop stream of babble in Cal's direction. "You set this up, didn't you? You couldn't just eat a bunny and leave us alone."

Cal snickered maniacally. "And disappoint Evie? I would never." He said in mock astonishment. "She's still hoping that one day I'll recognize that I have retained a fraction of my old self and I'll come running back to rescue her from her now pathetic existence." He peered down at me as he said this.

"We both know the closest you'll ever get to humanity is when you rip it open and feed on it." _Helpful_, I thought with an internal sigh. _Now we're never getting out of here._

He took me up in his arms and smirked as I imagined Satan might. "If that's what you want."

"No! I want you to remember who you are!" Damon insisted with a strangled plea.

Cal ignored him and spoke over his shoulder to his master. "Is it time?" His tone was respectful, like he was talking to a superior being. I'm sure that's exactly what Alphaeus thought he was.

He sat on the edge of a boulder just outside of the circle. "Almost, dear boy. We still have a few more guests that must be present." His head tilted to the side and he turned so he could hear something. He grinned. "And here they come."

A woman came out of the woods preceded by a band of goons. "Sorry to keep you waiting, brother. Some of the mutts were difficult to locate."

Alphaeus took Xavia's hand and looked at the fresh batch of prisoners. "What's important is that you are here now. They look absolutely splendid."

"Hold on. Wait a minute." Damon interjected. "You're his sister?" I'm glad he had the guts to say it. I was curious about the same ordeal.

"Indeed, I am." Xavia said with a smile, or should I say Cerebella. "Cerebella was such a proper name. It reeked of innocence. Do you know what it means? Beautiful princess. It makes me shiver just to hear it. Only my brother is allowed to call me that."

"… The Cerebella? As in, the Original Vampires?"

Her brother beamed and answered for her. "The Original two, yes. God created balance in all things but that balance will soon be shifted once I finish building my army."

_Great. Another nut job who feels like taking over the world. Like the history books don't have enough of those. Speaking of balance, let's just add a supernatural one while we're at it._

Cerebella sat down on the boulder and batted her long eyelashes at Cal. "Come, my love. Let the girl be alone and you and I can make up for lost time."

Cal released me and floated over to her in a haze, as if he was being summoned by powers beyond human sight's comprehension. Then he sat beside her and the two vampires started making out for all to see.

"Ugh," Damon scoffed. "Get a room, will you."

_Agreed._ I looked over to the prisoners that were still being detained by the grunts. Amongst them, I saw two familiar faces: Ben and what could only be Tara in her wolf form. Urgently, I sent a signal over to my friend. _Ben! Are you alright?_

_ Yeah, nothing a little ice can't help. What's going on?_

I examined the circle of vampires and bit my lip without thinking about it. _I'm not one hundred percent positive but they said something about a ceremony._

_ Hold on, let me check it out._ He probed the minds around him and his face went from slightly pink to ghost white. _Oh no._

_ What? What is it?_

He was reluctant to tell me but he didn't have to do so intentionally. I could hear the tiny thought before he smothered it to mere embers. _They're going to turn you._

I suppressed the fear that threatened to overtake me. I couldn't allow myself to be afraid, not when I was surrounded by a dozen hungry vampires and a couple of psychotic Originals. But there was one piece of information that was escaping me. Why did they need all of this if all they planned to do was turn me into one of them?

Ben did his best to find out everything I desired to know. He thought I deserved that much. He found the answer in Cerebella, who sounded more than eager to torture me and control me. _They're using a ritual that their witch friend taught them about. It involves sacrifices and a ceremonial circle of the undead, which I assume is why they have the vampires standing like that. Then… you'll have to feed on a werewolf._

_ Tara._ That's why she was here and why it had to be on a night with the full moon. I bet all of this was merely coincidence. Perhaps they had planned to try the ceremony on a random human and I just got in the way. For me, that seems unlikely. If they're planning a magical ritual, would they not need a witch? _Are you wearing any valerian? That leather wristband I gave you?_

_ No, they took it off when they kidnapped me. It burnt her skin and she got angry._

Then I was right. They were going to use Ben to do the ritual and he wouldn't be able to stop himself from obeying them.

Ben saw my train of thought and his mood changed exponentially. _Superb. I'm going to be a living zombie and kill my best friend. What a peach I turned out to be._

_ It's not your fault_, I encouraged. _No matter what happens, I won't blame you for any of it._

He recognized the sincerity of my words and gave me a quick half-grin. _I guess I'll be seeing you on the flip-side._

I returned the sentiment and peered down at my tethered ankle. It was a basic strand of rope attached to a metal stake in the ground. I felt like a dog that was chained up outside for something I'd done wrong. I could only be so lucky.

The lines of communication between me and Ben were still open when Damon yelled at him mentally. I could hear every word as if he was speaking aloud. _Hey, kid. Ben. Can you still hear me?_

Ben nodded to him very slightly as not to draw attention to the others.

_I know you can communicate with Evie. Will you tell her something for me? It's important._

There was no way of telling him that I could hear him so he just nodded again.

I stared right at Damon, hoping that he might be able to understand. I willed him to do so. _Please, know I can hear you. I want you to hear me, too._

_ Tell her that we're all going to die either way and that she should just go through with the ritual. Tell her not to struggle or else no one will survive. Someone has to live._

Ben turned to me. _Did you get that?_

_ Every word…_ Not that I liked it at all. If everyone else was dead, why would I want to survive? They had to pay. They had to suffer for what they were doing to innocent people. I was more than prepared to become a vampire now. I had plenty of time to think about it since Cal first attacked me on the rooftop of the high school. Hunger for blood. Big deal. There was one thing they weren't counting on when they brought all of us together. Weakness.

Alphaeus took in a lungful of air through his nose and beamed up at the sky. "It's time, sister. Cal. Hold her down."

"Hold her down?" The words slipped out of my mouth before I could hold them back. Why did he need to hold me down?

Cal zipped over to me with his vamp speed and grabbed my arms from behind, practically cutting off my circulation.

The Original took his time crossing over to meet us. "Cerebella, compel the boy."

She used her brother's pace to Ben's side and looked deep into his eyes. "Repeat after me without arguing. No one else is here. It's just you and me. I'm your best friend, remember?"

Ben held off the enchantment long enough to say "I'm sorry" and then his eyes went blank. My Ben, my brother at heart, was no more.

The words they spoke were in a language I couldn't understand, maybe a language that died with the people of the Original time. As they recited the words, a glow surrounded me and a bubble formed inside the circle that the vampires had outlined. Outside of the circle, Damon was shouting. "Don't! Stop! You don't have to do this! Let me take her place!" He failed his own plan. Once the bubble had closed at the top, no one could hear him any longer. Still, the magical words echoed inside the orb. It was very eerie sounding.

As I had been dreading but anticipating, Alphaeus bent over my neck and began sucking away the light from my body. The whole time, I was wishing that if this worked they would still spare the remaining lives. Tara would be sacrificed but Ben and Damon could still live. _Let them be safe_, I chanted. _Let them be safe._

The moment almost all of the light was gone, he bit his own wrist and pressed the bloody wound against my lips.

_Tell her not to struggle._ That's what Damon had advised. I had to survive, one way or another. I ingested the revolting red liquid and… I can't continue on. It makes my mouth do strange things just thinking about it.

After that, he nodded to Cal and then the light went out as he snapped my neck. I was dead.

Hardly any time passed at all before I came back to life, desperately taking in my first breath as a new being. A vampire. I know it wasn't that much time because I could feel time passing around me. I was aware of every second's passing and every minute after that. A burning filled my veins that I could barely stand. I cried aloud without holding back but the words still continued around me. As I took in my surroundings, I saw the twelve dead vampires in a circle around me. They were sacrifices for a higher purpose, even if I didn't know what it was yet.

The bubble had disappeared, which meant this was my chance. I stood up and tried to escape, to free my friends. But the ritual was not complete. While the bubble was gone, an invisible force field was still containing me within the circle of bodies. I slammed against the force field and flew backwards to the center, into Cal's waiting arms.

One of the grunts unleashed Tara into the circle. Things could get in, but they couldn't get out, or so it would seem. Then Alphaeus sprinted over to her and quickly broke her in half, to paralyze her so that I may drink from her without harm. He egged me on.

But I couldn't do it. If he wanted me to do this to my friends, he was going to have to make me. I was going down with a clean conscience. I didn't kill her. He did.

He flashed over to me and stared into my eyes with the power only an Original could possess. "Drink."

Every moment of it was pure torture. I kneeled by her limp body, parted my lips and sunk my teeth into the base of her neck. My brain told me this was wrong while my stomach craved more. Still, it didn't matter because I had to do what I was told. My choice was not truly my own and my master demanded it of me. I had to drink her until there was nothing left to save. No more Tara.

I stood up and faced my body to my master but never moved my eyes from the level of the ground.

The words stopped and everyone looked at me, staring. I couldn't see them but I could feel their eyes on me. They could see something that I couldn't. A glow.

"Run, Evie! Run!"

I looked quickly to my left, then to my right before I bolted at full speed into the trees without ever looking back. I was free, but now I was alone and I had no idea when that would change.


	16. College Life and Suspenders

Chapter Sixteen:

College Life and Suspenders

* * *

I ran, and I kept on running. I could feel heartbeats all around me. I didn't lust for the blood that pumped from those hearts but I could still hear them. With my new life, I never had to stop running. With my speed, I could run for miles and miles. That's precisely what I did. My feet took me all the way to the northwestern coast of the United States. Three hours. That's how long I spent running from the danger. Just three.

I found myself on a college campus. Out of all the miserable places I could wind up, it just had to be college. It's a large part of the human experience! Only one problem with that theory. I'm not human. So, I hid myself away for a few months in the basement of the science center, turning to dust to prevent the loss of human life. _Ben could still be alive_, I thought to myself. _Please find me._ _Please, please find me._ How far away could this mind link work? Maybe he was more powerful than he realized and he just hadn't tapped into the power to call long-distance yet. I willed him to hear me. To find my desiccated corpse.

That's when I heard them. The voices.

At first, it was merely a hum in the back of my head. I ignored them as best as I could and huddled into a ball on the cold, damp floor. But then, when I let myself concentrate on the individual parts, the words were audible, understandable.

_Why, oh why did I decide to major in Chemistry? I hate Chemistry! I only picked it because my dad told me to._

_ If Zach doesn't freaking start paying attention to me, I'm going to scream! Oh my gosh. He's looking at Trudy. Why doesn't he just date her already? He'll stop wasting my time._

_ I'm going to get an A. I'm going to get an A. If I keep telling myself this, maybe I'll actually get an A. Stupid lab test._

_ These dumb kids wouldn't know the difference between an atom and a rainbow if it bit 'em on the nose. Thank heaven I'm getting paid anyway. God help these poor fools._

I could hear the mental voices. It sounded like they were speaking. Every single mind in this building was now in my head. Is that what I was made to become? A mind reader? Is that what all of the flashy lights and the undead sacrifices were for? So I could get a migraine from the mental screaming being forced into my brain? If so, I wanted my money back. I wanted my humanity back.

As time moved on, I got used to the nagging in my mind. They helped me feel less lonely. My skin literally began to crust. I was a patch of earth that had been baking in the sun for too long. My mouth ran dry and I was too weak to move. All I could do was hear the voices.

I called out to them with my mind and willed one of them to come save me before I lost the Powers. A young man was the closest person to me, standing right above my head on the floor above. From what I could see through his eyes, he was searching for someone, too. My signal interrupted his thought process and he found himself heading towards the stairs that led to the basement. He had never been to the basement before but he wanted to see what mysteries it held.

_Come_, I called. _Come to me._

I heard him make his first step on the cement floor from the stairwell. When he rounded the corner, I saw his shaggy black hair and his blue eyes. He wore a t-shirt, so it must be summertime.

But I couldn't get past his face. "Damon?" I breathed.

He saw me laying there and ran to my side. "Miss. Are you okay?" He took in my appearance and I could see myself through his eyes. My skin was incredibly pale and I appeared to be more than ill. If I were human, I'd probably be dying. The tone of his thoughts was coated with concern. I felt almost guilty for what I was about to do to him.

"Would you hold me? I feel so cold."

He sat down by my side and dragged my body across the floor until I rested in his lap, my head against his chest.

My eyes weren't staying open. I had to finish this quickly. "Come closer. I need to tell you something."

The young man bent his face to the point where his ear was by my mouth. "What is it?"

I entangled him in my arms and used my remaining strength to hold him there. "I'm sorry." I yanked his neck to my lips and sank my teeth into his flesh. My teeth pierced the artery and the warm blood flowed into my mouth. It was only the second time I had that feeling. I was hoping I could finish the process properly.

After seconds had passed and my strength was returning to me, I tore myself away. The man had enough blood left to survive and I had enough to make sure he never remembered meeting me.

I got to my feet and pulled him up so that we were face to face. I stared deep into his eyes and compelled him. "You did not see me. I was not here. You came to the basement because you followed an animal down here and realized it wasn't there anymore. The wound on your neck is left over from when you cut yourself shaving this morning. It will be fine. Go back upstairs and go about your business. Oh, and get a bandage on that thing right away." _Was that right? _I wished it was or else I would be discovered too soon. I needed to stay here and I couldn't afford a witness.

I quickly flashed behind a cement support over in the shadows and waited to see if everything was okay.

He stood there motionless for a while, a robot trying to compute his orders. Then he looked to either side of him and shrugged before he marched up the stairs. _Must have been my eyes playing tricks on me. I should get a bandage for my cut right away. Wouldn't want people freaking out or anything._

My lips turned up at the corners for my first success. I still felt weary but I had to wait until I knew he was gone.

I listened until his mind reached the other end of the building. When the coast was clear, I zoomed up the stairs and out the door as someone was walking out. The person thought that they had seen something but then they dismissed it as the wind. I retreated to the woods to hunt. There I would search high and low for large predators until I had my fill. For now.

The second order of business was to enroll in college. As I had heard around the campus as I was leaving, the day was August 27th, 2012. A Monday. Everyone was finishing up their finals for the summer session and, for the most part, were relieved to be going back home to their families. While I was certain that it would be too late to send in my admission papers, it couldn't hurt to try. Besides, my special new skills might be appealing for them. It wasn't exactly a prestigious establishment. It's not like I was keeping a genius from getting his or her place in the graduating class of '16. The only problem I had was what exactly was I going to study?

First thing's first, I had to get a hold of some money. I had heard of a place where a lot of the richer families lived. A kind of "at the top of the hill" thing. I started for this "hill" but was soon interrupted by the roaring in my ear. It was my own thoughts.

For the first time in a long time, I could hear my thoughts. Now that I was away from all of those selfish students, I could literally hear myself think. And I wasn't surprised at all when I realized I was thinking about them: the Moretti brothers. I was alone and they were all dead or worse but the one thing that was still nagging at me in the back of my head was that I had never chosen. When I was with Cal on that first day of school, my heart nearly fluttered out of my chest. Every day after that, his strange behavior drew me in and I had to know who he was. Then I was with Damon and I swore to myself that it was him I truly loved. But which one was it? It couldn't be both. I was not going to be another Guinevere, caught between two men who loved me in return.

Did it make a difference now? Putting myself into a human routine would be good for me, I'm sure. I couldn't take another moment of madness inside my head and the minds around me would drown them out without a doubt.

At last, I made my way to the rich living area and stood in the center of the village to search the minds to look for one that was more vulnerable than the others. A few mansions down from where I stood, an old man—retired—lived alone. The only people he had to surround himself with were his servants and even most of them left at 5 o'clock sharp to get home to their own families. This was a feeling I could play on easily.

In my ragged, bloody apparel, I scaled the steps to his house and rang the doorbell. It echoed through the empty hallway, ominous to only me.

A butler soon approached the door and released the locks to see who could possibly be visiting such a man as this. He gazed downward, towering over me at about six feet and two inches. His eyes were bare of any emotion he may have once had. "Can I help you, miss?"

"Please, can you tell me whose house this is?"

"This is the home of Richard Van Owens, miss."

I nodded. "As I thought. I have a message to bring to him from my mother. Do you think you could ask him to see me?" I focused on him and compelled him, saying, "It is important I see him."

He bowed slightly and went off to find his master.

When the master of the house, Mr. Van Owens, came downstairs from his study where he'd been reading _The Time Machine _by H. G. Wells, he was immediately stunned by my wardrobe. "My dear child, are you alright?" He clutched his chest where his heart sat, bracing himself for good measure.

"Peachy keen. I have some rather astonishing news that I think, if you're open to it, you may enjoy."

"What is it? I pray you, speak quickly." He perused the outside area and waved me in. "Come in. Come in."

I wiped off my feet on the pristine, navy blue welcome mat and stepped inside, pushed along by the impatient old man. He took my elbow and guided me to the sitting room where the two of us sat in golden paisley-upholstered chairs.

Once the two of us were comfortably seated, he waved over one of his servants and asked in a kind voice, "Please bring our guest her evening tea and something to eat." It would probably be rude to reject a pleasant gesture and say that I would have preferred to eat him instead.

The woman nodded and scurried out of the room only to return a moment later with a tray of piping hot tea and some sort of fancy fish on a cracker concoction. She set it down on a table to the right of me, curtsied and hurried to her post in the corner of the room.

"Eat something. You look famished. Then you can tell me your conditionally enjoyable news." Van Owens gestured to the tray and folded his hands feebly in his lap.

Actually I was quite full. Regardless, I picked up the teacup and saucer and slowly sipped away. _Yuck_, I thought, trying to keep my face clear of any indicators of disapproval. I couldn't remember but I don't think I ever liked tea. "If you don't mind, I would like to get to the reason I came here." I set down the porcelain tea set and copied his sitting position. "I believe that I'm you granddaughter."

"My granddaughter?" He didn't seem appalled, only inquisitive. "I don't see how that could be, my dear. Unless…" _Could it be? There was that one night with Miss Amelia. Did she ever have a child? If she did, she never told me about it. Although, I don't see why she would. After that one night, she told me she never wanted to see me again._

_ Ugh. I bet it was Amelia Davidson's lineage that brought her about. The hair looks about right._ The butler that answered the door earlier was thinking critically about the past life his master had led. He must have been quite the looker back in the day.

I smiled. They were making this way too easy for me. "You might have known my grandma when she was still a Davidson."

"Oh, dear mercy. So it's true. Can you tell me how she is? I haven't spoken to her in ages."

"I'm afraid not," I replied with an edge of sadness. "My mother was raised in an orphanage and she hasn't seen her birthmother. All she was given was the name on her birth certificate and a note leaving the father's name should anyone ever need it. When my mother died not too long ago, I came to seek you out. You're the only family I have left."

"Where is your father?"

"He died when I was small. I hear it happens a lot in the firefighting business."

_Oh, my sweet Amelia. I can see you in her eyes._ He pepped up and straightened out his slumped spine in his chair. "Tell me your name that we may be better acquainted."

"Evie. My name's Evie Richards."

He stood up and held his arms out to me. I followed suit and fell into him, enjoying the warmth that encompassed his body. "It's nice to meet you, Evie Richards. I'm very sorry for your loss." The aroma I was getting from him was A positive and a hint of soap. My cravings were under control, thanks to Ben's last gift to me. He patted my back and stepped apart. "As my first act as your ol' grand pappy, I'd like to invite you to stay with me. What do you say? There are plenty of rooms in this big house and I'd hate to see you off by yourself." Wow, he really did want a family. Pumping a few bucks out of him wasn't going to be difficult whatsoever. He was practically handing it over on a silver platter with my name monogramed on the trim.

"How could I say no? Of course I will. Thank you so much! Why don't we go somewhere where we can talk about everything we've missed? I'd love to catch up."

"I agree. You'll need to have new clothes. We'll start with some shopping. You ladies still like that sort of thing, don't ya?"

I chuckled. "I don't think we'd be girls without a like for shopping."

He beamed, as happy as he's ever been in the sixty years he's lived. "Glad to hear it. Lucy, fetch my hat and have Bentley drive the car around to the door, please."

The scatterbrained maid nodded, blurted out a, "Right away, sir" and shuffled into the hall.

The two of us made our way to the front door and I felt kind of good about what I was doing here. Not because I was an evil vampire and tricking people out of their money made me warm and fuzzy inside. No, it was the look on his face and the twinkle in his eye. He genuinely wanted to help me. A small part of him knew it might not be true but he didn't care. He was more than happy to humor a young girl who required a place to rest her head for the night. Richard Van Owens was one of the only rich people that I'd ever met and I already outlawed the stereotype that everyone with money is a jerk by simply looking at his aged, pale green eyes.

Lucy came back with his hat and removed the red lounging robe he was wearing over his suspenders while Grand Pappy was bouncing around, a new man.

"I don't want to miss a moment of it. You'll have to start from the beginning for me." He flipped his hat onto his head and opened the door for me.

I couldn't help myself from giggling at his sudden energy and went out into the hot, summer air towards the limo that was waiting in the half circle stretch of parking lot past the walkway. "Only if I get to hear all about you when I'm finished." The butler, Bentley, bowed to me with a slight bend as he opened the door. I smiled and thanked him as I slid in to make way for Grandpa Richard.

The entire way to town, we were talking nonstop about my life in Wolfcrest. I didn't want to lie to him when I didn't absolutely have to. Had I known my grandparents, I dreamed they would have been just like him and I didn't want to dishonor their memory—or the lack thereof—by being extra cruel to the poor old man. I began with my childhood and stressed every detail. Here and there he would comment or laugh or concur with something I had said, like when I mentioned that I often wondered off from my classroom during kindergarten because I thought it was too boring. He laughed his butt off and said, "That's what I would do. No one could ever get me to sit still if I had my mind set on moving around. Tediousness was my arch enemy."

We stopped in front of a grand shop, one with golden letters naming the store and manikins that looked like they cost almost as much as the three thousand dollar dresses they were wearing. I couldn't be seen in there. I looked absolutely hideous. I felt like Julia Robert's character in Pretty Woman when she went into a designer clothes store wearing hardly anything.

When we got out of the car, I merely stood there and stared at the door like it was about to morph into the boogie man and eat me. Gramps came around to me and put his arms around my shoulders to observe with me.

"Are you sure?" I asked, ogling the satin dresses and shiny belt buckles. "I couldn't afford half of **one** of the dresses. It would take me a year to earn enough money to step into the store."

He rubbed my arm and grinned. "That's what grandfathers are for. What kind of fun is it if we can't even spoil our grandchildren? Let's go in." He pulled me along until we passed the threshold.

Being a vampire gave me no strength at all. I almost forgot I now had the ability to beat them all to a pulp before they even lifted a finger. I was tiny in comparison. A meager human being who looked absolutely atrocious in designer rags covered in blood. I was merely surprised no one had asked me about it yet. _"I'm sorry. Why are you dressing as Demi Moore from the Charlie's Angels sequel? You look like you just climbed out of a horror movie."_

I wanted to bolt out of there the minute the creepy stick figure woman laid her eyes on me and asked, "Can I help you?" in a bit of a sassy way.

"Yes, my granddaughter here is going to need help picking out a few outfits. I'm not reliable when it comes to ladies' fashion, I'm afraid."

_A few? He must have plenty of money to burn. I'll excuse her attire and get her into something decent. _"Absolutely. You make yourself right at home. Young lady, come right this way." She spun around on her heel and strutted forward, urging one of the other employees to schmooze Gramps while she took care of me.

After trying on fifty-eight different blouses, skirts, and dresses, I came out with five different outfits. I made Gramps promise that our next stop was going to be something a little more my speed, like the kind that constantly advertise a sale and you wonder to yourself if there ever isn't some sort of a discount. I felt much more comfortable there. As I was picking out shirts off the rack, somehow I let it slip that I was going to be attending college. He thought that meant I wanted him to get me stuff for my dorm room and we went to two more stores looking for bedroom stuff and kitchen stuff and little bobbles that no one really has any need for… like a flat screen TV. My roommates put up with me for that reason alone.

A few hours later, the stores were closing at nine o'clock sharp and we brought all of my new belongings in the back of the limo. We had to sit up by Bentley to make enough room for it all. I was beginning to think by the second hour of shopping that he was having more fun than I was. It was hilarious watching every member of his staff that hadn't gone home hauling it up to my room. We sat down to a late dinner, finished catching up on my life and ended the night with a promise that he would begin his story tomorrow morning at breakfast. I thanked him and all of the servants for taking care of me and then I went upstairs.

The room he put me in was huge and seriously untouched. One of the maids had turned down the bed and all of my stuff was there but otherwise no one had been in it for ages unless they were dusting off the cobwebs from the furniture. I closed the door and sat down at the vanity to look at myself in the mirror. My new haircut was nice. It was really more of a trim, some shaping, and some toning but it looked good. My hair only came to my shoulders but I liked it.

Once I had a nice shower, I was ready for bed. In those few moments before I closed my eyes, I took a note of everything I did and didn't know. First, while making Grandpa Richard forget about everything that happened since he went to the door and leaving him in an alley was an okay plan, it wasn't what I was going to do. He actually seemed to like having me around and he was a sweet man, my only kind of friend. Second, vampires must really be able to sleep because I felt tired. I'd seen Damon and Cal sleep but sometimes I didn't believe they were actually sleeping, merely closing their eyes to appear as such. Lastly, I was going to spend every waking hour doing everything else except for thinking about the choice I hadn't made. But only the waking ones.

The next hour, I was sprightly and enthusiastic about hearing all about Richard Van Owens when he was my age and about Afghanistan or his newspaper route or Amelia Davidson. I slipped a faint yellow robe over my silk, black pajamas and flew down the stairs without a whole lot of restraint. Had anyone been paying any attention to me, they would have suspected immediately that I was strange and foreign.

But they weren't worried about me at all. Something else was amiss in the house that I hadn't taken the time to listen for.

_He's gone? He's really gone? Was it his heart? Oh, I bet it was his heart. Poor, dear._

I raced back up the stairs and into his room where the servants gathered to pay their respects while they waited for the proper authorities to come and claim the body for burial. I knelt down by his bed and placed my hands on his. He didn't seem dead, only sleeping peacefully.

"Grandpa? Grandpa Richard?" I put my head on his chest to listen for his heartbeat like any normal human person would do but I already knew. He was still alive, but only just. His heartbeats were slow and barely audible. "Grandpa, it's me. It's Evie. Please speak to me. You promised. You promised to tell me about you and Grandma and your childhood. You can't leave now."

His eyes never opened and he never moved his body. But with his last breath he managed to whisper softly the words, "Thank you."

Tears filled my eyes and I let my head rest on the bed beside him. Another form of family, gone in an instant. Why was it that everything good in my life was so easily taken from me? This was the straw that broke the camel's back. I was going to be an undead human being and I was going to do it better than any vampire ever could. And I was going to do it for him.

I changed into a nice presentable outfit, put up my hair in a bun, and raced off to the university to speak with the dean of admissions. In minutes, I was back in my room in my pajamas in time for Grandpa Richard to be taken away.

None of the servants knew what was going to happen but they knew it all depended on me. As the only family Richard Van Owens had ever known, everything automatically belonged to me. A half a million dollars of his fortune was split fairly between the workers who were then released the day I would move into my dorm room only a week and a half later. The house remained in my care for the days when I would need it again. The remainder of the money sat in a bank account with my name on it to dispose of as I wished. Alone.

Now we come to the present. College life sucks. My roommates are Leia Zelaznik, Patricia Carey, and McKenna Flack. But I don't only have to deal with them. I have to deal with the annoying boys that come over on a daily basis: Steve Jones, Eric Killian, his brother Mark, and Josh Lancaster. The dorm is pretty high quality. It has a kitchen, a living/dining room, a large bathroom, two bedrooms, and plenty of closet space. I couldn't bring all of my new clothes over but I brought most of the casualwear and one of the expensive outfits for emergency purposes only. I have to share my room with Leia who does a great deal of snoring which is about as loud as her talking. She's quite a loud person. So is McKenna. Trish, for the most part, is pretty quiet. She can feel that something's off about me so she tries not to speak in my presence. It works for me.

Currently—I say this because it changes every week or so—Steve is dating Trish, McKenna is with Josh, Leia is trying to put the moves on Eric, and Mark has a thing for me. The first couple will never last for more reasons than I care to remark. The second started to make other people jealous and the third will not work out because Eric is completely clueless when it comes to women. Mark is merely wasting his time because I don't date anymore. My dating life is cursed. Plus, it would be a bit of a turn off if I started the conversation with, "What's your blood type?"

Every so often, there's a terrible breakup which involves crying, a pint of chocolate ice cream, and back-to-back viewings of _Moulin Rouge!_ with Ewan McGregor. Then the next day, the girls will be perky and tear-free and it will be time to track down the next heartbreak.

My main priority while I'm wasting away my eternal existence at college is to achieve something. I told the Dean of Admissions that I was applying myself to the study of medicine to become a doctor. I keep my grades up and try to avoid killing people when they annoy the crap out of me.

For example, yesterday was Friday the 9th. All of the guys were over for this ludicrous date night activity thing. My roommates thought it would be cool to carve pumpkins—yeah, in the beginning of December—and play a bunch of games like Signs and… Twister…

Anyway, the guys humored them to get on their good sides and I stayed in my room finishing up my homework and studying for finals week. One hour into the lame activity, Leia comes into my room and flips on the light.

"Come on, Evie. Join us. Mark really wants to spend some time with you." The trill in her voice made my eardrums want to burst.

If she had known me at all she would know that there was nothing on this earth that could lure me out of my room, especially when I was concentrating on work. Mark included. "Go away, Leia." I sighed, overtired from this feigned human blah.

"Don't be a kill joy! Mark refuses to continue anything until you come out of this room. It's the last week of the semester and you need to get out! You're ruining the fun for everyone else!" She was whinier than a two year old having a temper tantrum. For them it was cute but for her, it just looked stupid.

I slowly turned in my chair and dilated my pupils at her. "I am indisposed and I can't go out of the room without getting everyone else sick. Now go and don't come back in here until all of the boys are gone."

Her eyes went blank and she nodded mechanically, turned around and closed the door behind her.

It took all of my self-control not to snap her neck in two and feed her to a mountain lion. Thirst and hunger weren't the issues. It was my low tolerance for annoying people. That trait was intensified when I turned, and how unhelpful it is. One of these days I'm going to follow through and actually kill her for the heck of it.

For now, my life is a boring routine. I wake up, go to class, do my homework, and then go to sleep. I eat when I have to, drink when I need to, and avoid social opportunities like the plague. People and I were never compatible. I just don't have the patience for them anymore.

I have thought long and hard about my old life in Wolfcrest. Many times, I lay on my bed under my Egyptian cotton sheets, and pretend I'm there going to high school with Ben and Tara. Then I think about my strange, power-filled vampire life and the comparison is unsettling. I didn't even know vampires could read minds or any of the stuff I've learned to do over the months I've been away from home. Nothing is the same anymore and I can't ever go back. Not like this.

Once in a while, I'll find solace in the mansion at the top of the hill. The view from the roof is beautiful. You can see the entire town from that one spot. That explains why people keep trying to make an offer on the house. I just never had the heart to give it away. It's my home away from home. Even with the sound of the town below, it feels remote, far away from the view of the human spectacle. I don't think I'll ever be able to leave it.

Today was just another day, just like tomorrow will be just another day. Another day in the human world among humans away from the home that I would kill to spend one last day in, for old times' sake. I'd give anything to stand in that house or walk on that football field. To sit by that tree and watch the ducks on that pond. One more day. A day I can't have because I'm hiding myself away as I was told. Running from the life I once knew so I could survive. Alone.


	17. Mingling

Chapter Seventeen:

Mingling

* * *

Winter. I feel the change all around me, like a disease. It burns and aches inside of me because I caught it and I don't know what to do. But then I feel hope. The hope that once was, can be again. That's when I turn off my emotions and I keep trekking to the large building towards the center of campus: the library.

Besides my room and the rooftops, this is where I spend most of my time. It's not dead silent like those libraries you see in movies with the old woman at the front desk, nose in a book, who scolds kids every time they make a peep. The volume is more like a low hum of whispers. Nonetheless, it can be quite peaceful. Often, I'll hear some poor slob hitting on a girl using similar pickup lines. Originality has certainly been lacking.

I followed my routine to the letter. I sat in my corner next to the book display about Ancient Egypt. I unloaded my things in my enclosed work space—my laptop, my homework, and my textbooks—just to make it look like I was busy doing something, and I twiddled my fingers while listening in on the human beings around me. When I had a focus on one thing or another, it was easier to forget. Most of the time, I would catch myself playing with my onyx ring, tracing the details with my fingertip. The black gem was cut into the shape of an oval, like the others I'd seen. But what made mine different was the craftsmanship in the band itself. The white gold curled on either side of the gem to form two symmetrical hearts that shifted into a straight line at the point. I could tell Ben had picked this ring out with care. He wanted it to be different from the others. For me to be different from the others.

This little thing was the only remaining symbol of my memories as a human being. My clothes from the night I was changed were burned, my locket was gone, and that part of me was gone with it. Even if it wasn't the only object keeping me alive, I would have held onto it for dear life.

Once that part is over, I quickly move on to my original task of picking at the feeble minds around me. It gets to the point where I start making bets with myself about who will do this and that and at what time they will do it. _In five minutes, that boy by the Biology section will ask the girl standing next to the computers out on a date. I wonder where he'll take her if she says yes, and she just might. They've been exchanging glances a few times. Maybe to the hamburger joint down the street? No, he seems more creative than that. Everyone goes there. He'll probably take her somewhere cold so he can put his arm around her. Maybe on a spontaneous picnic. Yes. Somewhere with a gazebo. One with a nice view where they can see the sunset. That would be romantic, I bet. It would surely give her a very nice first impression of him._

Then I moved on to the next pea-brain. _Yuck… Get your mind out of the gutter, man. _There would be those moments when I really hated my powers. There wasn't exactly a filter. If there was, I would have a lot more fun with it.

As you can imagine, this gets boring really quickly. Especially for me, the girl whose attention span shrunk to the size of a grape when she turned immortal. When this happens, I actually start doing the work I was supposed to be doing in the first place. In my case, that would be studying for my final exams. My first one was tomorrow and I wanted to make sure I read through the entire textbook. With the photographic memory that I had acquired, I could take the test and ace it without a problem.

I'm not sure what I was thinking but, when I went to look through that particular textbook, it wasn't there which meant I must have left it in my room. Whatever it truly was, I blamed it on the fact that I hadn't had a sip of blood in a while and my body was roaring out of control. My throat hurt like I had strep, I was more emotional, and it was hard to set focus on anything else.

At that precise moment, a young man came up behind me and tried to get my attention by clearing his throat. As I turned around, he smiled and said, "Hey, beautiful" with a wink.

My jaw dropped and in his blue eyes I saw someone I didn't intend to see. They sounded too similar. "Excuse me. I think you've got the wrong person. She might be a little more your speed." I nodded over to the desperate redhead past him who was shouting curses at me for being the "lucky" woman he'd chosen.

"Fair enough." He simply walked away, which made the ginger very happy.

I channeled my focus back on my textbook, eyebrows pressing together in a line of perplexity. Throughout the time I was here, I was used to people occasionally asking me out or hitting on me, etc. Most of the time they would have the idea to and they would soon dismiss it when their instincts kicked in, taking precedence over their hormones enough to avoid danger. I studied his mind to see what made him say those things, but there was nothing there. It was like something had been erased.

I was about to turn the page when another brave soul caught my attention. I politely faced him, waiting to hear what bizarre thing would come out of his mouth. This one also had blue eyes and I found them intriguing. "Can I help you?" I asked, folding my hands on my lap and nonchalantly cracking my knuckles.

"I just have to say something." He got out, staring down with wide eyes at my fingers.

"Do I know you?" _Or do you know the guy who just walked up to me?_

"No. I just have to say it once. You just need to hear it."

Eyes enlarged, I blanched out. Those words… I had heard them before. Those exact words. _"I love you, Evie. And it's because I love you that… I can't be selfish with you. Why you can't know this. I don't deserve you… but my brother does. God, I wish you didn't have to forget this. But you do."_ How did **he** know them? Is this what he was about to say?

I assumed without checking and was about to lash out when he continued, "Wanna grab a coffee sometime?"

I took in a deep breath and composed myself. "That's very kind of you but, no thank you."

He nodded, slightly wounded in both pride and ego, and shuffled off.

_Am I that beautiful to them? What the heck is going on?_

After number three came up to me, it seemed to be more than mere coincidence. "But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." The boy was kneeling by my chair with hands clasped together, trying to appear alluring or romantic.

To me, he just looked weird. "No hablo inglés."

Number four broke out in a whispered song. Another familiar line. "I never knew I could feel like this. Like I've never seen the sky before. Want to vanish inside your kiss. Everyday I'm loving you more and more. Listen to my heart; can you hear it sing. Come back to me and forget everything. Seasons may change, winter to spring, but I love you until the end of time." This was the song that Romeo sang for the final musical number in my high school performance.

By the fifth guy, I had just about filled my quota and was about to kick him where it hurts. "I've made a lot of choices that have gotten me here."

"Then why don't you leave?" I mumbled sarcastically.

"'Cause if I'd have chosen differently, I wouldn't have met you."

"And you never will." I made him meet my gaze with a glare and dilated my pupils. "Just walk away."

He moved his automatic legs, spun around and left me in peace.

No one even dared to try and face me after that last one. It gave me the time I needed to finally finish reading all of the textbooks that I had with me. Even when I was done, I didn't want to go back to the dorm yet. All of my roommates were home with the guys and I wasn't about to give Mark the opportunity to ask me out if he miraculously got the nerve to do it today of all days.

I decided I should stay in my little cubicle and draw for a while. I'd been practicing my drawing skills and I was getting better. Sometimes, I'd pick out a book and try to copy the pictures just to have a reference. Other times I would draw the live subjects as they were going about their business. My sketchbook was full of random people typing at the computers, reading a book, and talking to their friends. Without cheating, I didn't know any of their names. I don't think any of them knew what I was doing over in my tiny nook but I liked to believe some of them did. That they wanted me to, to serve my personal whims… Like he used to.

I looked down at my picture and saw the shape of the eyes and the twist of the hair was nothing like the boy that was tapping his foot impatiently by the copier. It was him. He was standing with his arms open to me. The detail, it looks too perfect and I force myself to leave. It's time to get my textbook and face one fear to be rid of another.

I stuffed all of my crap back in my backpack, swung it carelessly over my shoulder, and made my way to the entrance doors. I ignored the stares and stirring thoughts about the girl in black who's always so strange, so different. I escaped to the outdoors where I felt like I could breathe again.

The darkness was welcoming. It allowed me to walk freely without wondering if I would be seen. The streetlamps along the sidewalk did their job poorly, lighting up only small spots on the walkway that were few and far between. No one had a chance of seeing me unless I passed right under the beacon. The abyss was too eternal for that, too deep. Only two hours had gone by since I entered the library. At that time, the sun had been approaching the horizon but now it was nowhere in sight.

I walked down the sidewalk toward my dorm room, keeping my head down with my hands in my jacket pocket. There wasn't a soul around to see my performance but I did it for good measure. To keep up that habit.

As I approached the corner, a mind called out. _Ow! Damn it! Ah, my leg! Is it broken? Oh, dang. I bet it's broken. Oh my God, it hurts so much!_ He examined his surroundings but no one was there to help him in that secluded area. No one except for me.

I flashed over to his side and he started freaking out.

"Where did you come from?" He bent over his legs and tried to steady the injured one. "Ow! Dang it!"

"Here, let me give you a hand." The smell of blood reached my nose as I pulled my silky, red scarf from around my neck. "What on earth did you do to yourself?"

With pain and fear in his eyes, he glanced up at the top window of the building we were next to. "I fell out the window. I was just trying to take my project home and I couldn't see." His gaze moved to the shattered sculpture. He'd spent weeks on that elephant, carving every detail of the skin and the base. It was so heavy that when he tried to catch his balance as he felt himself falling forward, he couldn't stop himself from crashing to the ground.

I bit my lip and gently slid his pant leg up and immediately put it back in place, trying not to expose it to the snow. Then I held up my scarf to his face for him to see. "I'm going to have to put this around your eyes. It would be better if you didn't see this."

He thought about that for a moment and then nodded. "Okay. Just make it quick." He didn't know what I was about to do but he was almost certain that it would hurt more than he already was.

I tied the scarf like a blindfold around his head and picked him up. The enchanted onyx in my ring helped me to suppress my urges to feed, which was lucky for me because I could have used a bear or two right about then. It would have been easier to use my Powers on him and tell him to sleep but I had used up the last of what I had on the last dumb kid who tried to speak to me. It would take human blood to generate the kind of power that I desired and I wasn't about to rid the young man of the blood that he had left. Now, I could only depend on my strength to carry him to the hospital.

"Why don't we talk? It will help you ignore the pain. Um, what is your name?" I asked, easily running through the shadows with the distraction.

"Leo. Leo del Lenora."

_Del Lenora, huh? _"Got any family around here?"

"They live out of state." Yes, I could see that now. He made the sculpture because his little sister loves elephants.

"How about a girlfriend?"

He chuckled and stopped suddenly, in too much pain to laugh. "No. I haven't found the right woman for me."

That made me want to laugh. "That doesn't mean you can't date. You can't know she's the one unless you get to know her. You'd be surprised who turns up." _I should know._ I removed the blindfold before I stepped into the emergency room and pretended to almost collapse.

As I had hoped they would, every male in the room swooped in to rescue me and took the boy away on a gurney. One of the doctors asked me what had happened and I gave him the whole story. When the doctor got to the question about who I was in relation to the patient, I smoothly answered, "sister." I wanted to always be able to check on him until he was released, powers or no powers, and it wasn't that hard to believe that we were related—our features were very alike. He wrote everything down on a piece of paper attached to a clipboard and had me wait in the sitting area until Leo was ready for visiting.

I gladly waited, stuffing my scarf in my backpack and taking out my sketchbook. I flipped to the first blank page and drew. The first picture was of Leo's sculpture. I wanted to capture every detail of it so that he wasn't empty-handed when he went home to his family. He would at least have a picture of his masterpiece to give to his little sister. I signed my first name in a swirly calligraphy at the bottom, right hand corner along with the date. I wanted to leave him with my name, if nothing else.

After waiting for some time, the doctor escorted me to his room. He stopped me when we reached the door. "Your brother may have to stay here for a while. I won't bore you with all of the technical terms but the bottom line is your brother sustained a few more injuries than we realized. The broken leg was just the obvious one. He'll be okay, but it's best if we observe him for a bit. Just in case." He opened the door and the two of us walked in.

Leo was covered in casts and bandages. I didn't even realize how badly he'd been hurt. I'd been too preoccupied with the task of getting him to safety that it didn't occur to me that he had more injuries from the fall. His dark hair was almost unseen under the large wrap around his head. He hadn't woken yet but he wasn't far.

This was alright for me. I wasn't about to say goodbye and I definitely didn't want to hear whatever he was about to say. So I placed the drawing on his stomach and followed the doctor out.

The doctor was surprised that I didn't stay but I assured him I would be back and left before another word could be said.

I slipped gracefully through the shadows to my dorm room for the second time today. If I had wished to avoid dealing with Mark, he was small potatoes compared to everything else now. In fact, when I went in, I walked right past the living room and escaped quickly to my room. The moment I came in, all Mark was thinking about was me.

_I wonder if she'll say yes this time if I ask her out again. Maybe it's the approach. I'm probably not coming on strong enough. She might think I'm not as cool as Eric. That dweeb always gets the girls. Evie looks hot in that black coat of hers and those pants. I wonder what color her underwear is. I bet its black, too. She seems to really be into dark things. Maybe I should give her a present when I ask her. Like a black car. She looks like a Mustang kind of a girl._

_ Mustang_, I thought with a sigh. I only drove dull blue Mustangs and it had to be a classic. I would never go out with him in a million years but I'm particular about my Mustangs. That kid was a creep, and he wasn't the only one.

Once the door was closed, I took in a deep breath and slowly let it out as I slipped off my coat and let it drop to the floor by my dresser. This human façade was exhausting. I glanced at myself in the floor-length mirror that divided our room in half. I was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt with a gray pinstriped vest, black jeans, and leather boots that came up to the bottom of my calf. On the vest, there were two silver chains that connected from the pocket near my belly button to the side, sloping down at different depths. I'd gotten the inspiration for my wardrobe from the love of my life. The dark colors helped me blend into the shadows. The crimson scarf gave my outfit a splash of color. I thought it fit nicely, contrasting with the other colors. Of course, the black also matched my only piece of jewelry. The onyx in my ring was black. A lot of things in my life were dark. It all just seemed to fit.

I flopped onto my bed and stared up at the ceiling without seeing it. Nothing in my life seemed to make any sense. Let alone the fact that I'm a vampire, some thoughts weren't connecting when I tried to put them together. Cerebella, or Xavia as she preferred to be called, was one of the two Original vampires. But throughout the many stories that I had heard over the span of that short year, I had heard the name a few times. It was mentioned once during the story about how the two brothers became creatures of the night. That Cerebella was a vampire, too. Were they the same person or separate beings? Another nonsensical misunderstanding caused more brain throbbing. Why were the two Originals doing the big ceremony for the night that I turned? Ben said something about them getting the ritual from a witch. Witches could do pretty much anything with a few words and some good, old-fashioned willpower.

Questions of a more longing capacity entered my mind. _Is anyone alive out there besides me? Aunt Fauna or Ian or Ben or Tara? No. Tara's dead. I killed her… But what about Alphaeus? Is he still after me? Is he searching without rest to find me and either use me or destroy me?_ Cheery, aren't I? _Or is either of them alive? The two that made my heart take wing and soar above the highest mountain until it found solace in their arms, are they breathing still? _I imagined not. They would be at the mercy of the Originals and those two power thirsty beings didn't know mercy from the flat side of a hammer. They were both probably the ever charming Cerebella's personal lapdogs.

On that pleasant note, I sat up on my bed and gradually got to my feet. I tied the silk scarf from my backpack around my neck, pulled on my coat, picked up my textbook, and went into the hall, closing the door behind me. There was no need for anything else.

Ignoring the faint attempts of conversation to my left, I walked out the front door and marched all the way back to the library. Immediately, the thoughts of all the minds around me made me want to drown myself.

_I wonder what I'm going to get for Christmas from Dad. Maybe this time he'll actually listen to me when I hint to him on the phone that I want a new Blu-ray player like Suzie's. He never gets it right._ This girl's name was Amber Lynn and she was from California… Catch my drift?

_ One more joke involving Disney characters and Miley Cyrus and I may have to commit suicide. _Clark Edison was trying not to smash his head into a wall as he sat down by his soon to be ex-girlfriend and listened respectfully to everything she had to say.

I bet you can't guess who this is. _Crap. I think I taped over that show. I didn't know anyone would want to watch it. I thought it was just another tape. It's not my fault no one labels things anymore! I'm gonna get slaughtered when I get home._ If you guessed husband to a crazy housewife, you're right! I couldn't make out the logic of having a VCR when everything can be recorded on the cable box but college couples do strange stuff. I wasn't about to argue with that.

With my nose pressed into my textbook, I tried my best to study. _Which of the following is not possible? A) A distribution is right-skewed and the mean is greater than the median. B) A distribution is left-skewed and the mean is equal to the median. C) A distribution has a single peak and the mean and median are different. D) A distribution is not symmetric and the median is equal to the mean… B. Ugh! Next question. This stuff is so boring! Bring on the fun stuff already! Okay. Focus. Which of the following study results implies that there is not a problem with the quality of education at Rydell High? A) 83% of the seniors who applied for admission to Valley State College were accepted. B) 53% of the senior class was accepted for admission to Valley State College in the fall. C) 55% of the senior class scored below average on the math portion of a national aptitude test. D) 55% of the senior class scored above average on the writing portion of a national aptitude test. D! Jeez. And they call this college!_

I soon grew bored and began reading every single book on the shelves. I only got to read a few before the library closed and the guy at the help desk had to kick everyone out. Hoping that everyone was either gone or asleep at my place, I scooped up my textbook and stepped outside into the brisk winter night. Naturally, I was the last one out which meant the only thoughts I could hear were my own as I dallied up the sidewalk. There was no hurry to get back. The more time I took to get there, the more time they had to go to bed and get out of my way.

Now more than ever, I craved the company of Grandpa Van Owens. He was a true saint and that kind of a person was always welcome to sit down and chat with me. There were so many things we never got to talk about and so many questions I wanted him to answer. He sounded very wise for his age and I hoped that he would have enough experience to know what I was going through, even if he didn't know exactly what I was going through. It was a nice thought that my mind entertained and I walked to my dorm room in a daze.

I imagined we were sitting across from each other holding a teacup in our laps. He was wearing his rich, red smoking jacket and brown slippers with tan fuzziness on the insides of them.

_"My dear, if you love someone, your heart will know. The butterflies, the thoughts, the dreams. They are all big, red blinking lights that go off when your heart is letting you know. It's hard to mistake those feelings with those of desire, especially in a time of desperation. But when your mind is clear and there is time for you to think things through, your heart will show you the truth."_ He set down the saucer and had me do the same. Then he gave me a great, big bear hug until my feeble human arms couldn't feel the blood flow out to my fingers.

That's what I think he would say. I wouldn't believe it from anyone else. Sadly, I would never know because the distance was keeping me from asking the question that would get that kind of a response.

I thought about going to the mansion, feeling a bit nostalgic for the first time in my entire existence. Sentimentality was like a giant hive of yellow jackets in my case. Why crack it open when you already know what's inside? It'll only sting you when you let it out.

My feet took me in that direction and stopped dead in their tracks when my groggy mind became more aware of my surroundings. I saw the dark figure standing a ways from where I stood. When it spoke, it said only two words.

"Hello, Evie."


	18. Heartbeat

Chapter Eighteen:

Heartbeat

* * *

If my heart was still beating, it would have been pounding out of control. At that moment, I sped to my dorm room and locked the door behind me. He couldn't get in now. Not unless he was invited in—and I would see to it that this never happened.

As I turned around and rested my back against the door, I saw my roommates' and the boys' puzzled stares and sighed. I wasn't going to be able to pull this off. I searched their minds and found that they were echoing what was showing plainly on their faces. _What the hell is wrong with her?_ I could have done better without the silent swearing, but there was nothing I could do about that now.

"Evie, open the door."

I came closer to them and tried my best to lay down the law without any help from my Powers. "That man outside, he's a creepy stalker. Whatever you do, don't open the door. Don't peek out the windows and don't, under any circumstances, invite him in." I scurried into the other bedroom and hid under the bottom bunk bed like a five year old.

_This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real! _I chanted it over and over, blocking out everything else from my mind.

Then I heard the door open.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. May I come in? I have something important I have to ask Evie."

Leia was the one who answered the door. "How do you know Evie?" _Anyone who gets into Evie's social bubble must be pretty hardcore._

"Are you sure you don't want to invite me in first?" There was a moment of silence and then there were faint, delicate footsteps. "Thank you." The footsteps grew closer and closer and eventually stopped in front of the door. "Come out, come out, wherever you are." He sang.

I had a plan. The door that led to the hallway was still open. If I went as fast as I could, I could make it out the door and outside before he caught up with me. I was about to make my move when suddenly the door shut. _Dang! Plan B! Plan B!_ There was only one problem… I didn't have a plan B.

Distracted, I couldn't help but jump when I saw that he was level to the floor.

"There you are." He dragged me out from under the bed and set me on my feet.

The moment he let go of my arm, I opened the door and bolted out into the open. Would he do something suspicious in front of my roommates? Deciding not to risk it, I slipped out the front door and headed for the roof. No one else was out and about. They were all on dates or studying contently in their rooms. I wouldn't be seen jumping up onto the roof like the freak of nature that I was.

When I turned around, he was right there standing behind me. "I'm sorry if I frightened you. I don't understand what's going on. Why do I have to chase you?" He opened his arms out to me and grinned lovingly.

I shook the picture of my drawing out of my head. Damon couldn't be here. He wouldn't be. "You can't be here," I said aloud. "This can't be real."

"Well, I couldn't miss your last day of school." He pointed to my head and let his arms drop. "Your hair's different. I like it."

"Stop it." I warned, backing up to the edge as he came closer. "You're not real." It didn't make any sense. "Why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same question. However, I'm fairly certain your answer can be summed up all into one little word… Escape." His emotional, sensitive side pushed past everything else and reached the surface. "I couldn't let you be all by yourself. Not now. But it appears I didn't have to come." There was something in his eye. It was there for half a second, and then it was gone. Was he hurt? He brushed it off and stood tall. "I bet you're feeling pretty good about yourself, aren't you? For helping that kid, I mean."

I didn't say a word. I was unable to in his presence.

He moved on to the next subject, faster than the speed of life itself. "Tell me something, when's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel? You know, your powers don't work unless you feed properly." Under the sarcasm, I sensed the true meaning of his words. He was worried about me getting caught in a bad situation without a way out. Like today. He didn't know about the special enchantment Ben put on my ring.

"I'm fine without it, Damon. How did you find me here?"

He looked around. "Can we finish this somewhere else?"

I nodded and flew off the edge, heading for the top of the hill. We wouldn't be bothered by anyone there. In fact, there was nothing we would be unable to talk about. I could finally get some answers out of him.

I stopped at the front porch and unlocked the door, letting him inside.

He smiled. "I'm impressed. You've done well for yourself." He stepped inside and took a gander at the décor. "Where is everybody?"

"No one lives here anymore," I explained. "The last owner of the house died and left me everything. I occasionally come here when I need a quiet place to think alone." I led the way up the abandoned staircase to my room where I was most comfortable.

When I pushed the door out of the way, he took it all in. _Wow. Right to the bedroom. No small talk I presume?_ He was merely joking around. To anyone else, it would have sounded like he was acting like an immature high school boy.

I sat down and folded my legs on the bed. "I'm sorry about how I acted earlier. I've had an off day today and the shock of seeing you again… I just couldn't handle it."

"I bet you did. What, you're not used to being surrounded by boys who want to date you? I would have thought that they lined up at the door for you back home."

"Wait… did you do that?" _That must be it. No one could have accidentally said those things. He must have compelled them and wiped their memory of ever having spoken to them. _"You jerk! I almost broke down in tears back there!" I flashed over to him and slugged him as hard as I could.

"Ow! You've got quite an arm on you." He rubbed it and sat me back down, taking the place beside me. "I was waiting for the perfect opportunity to swoop in and surprise you. Those boys were already planning on asking you out. I just gave them some helpful pointers."

"Why did you wait? I would have wanted to see you right away if I knew you had come for me. And you still haven't answered that question either. How did you find me?"

He enveloped my hands with his own. "I've been looking for you since the morning after you ran away. Ben helped me get past the Originals once the compulsion was over. He found a way to imprison them until we figure out how to kill them. It's said that a regular old wooden stake doesn't have any effect on them. He thinks that if we track down another werewolf, we can get it to bite them before they're mobile again. Anyway, once they were taken care of, I did everything I could to find you. I tracked you all the way here using this." Damon went through his pocket and took out the compass that Alphaeus had.

Ben was okay, then. "And what about Aunt Fauna? Do you know if she's alright?"

"Yes, she's fine but…" He searched my eyes and brushed my cheek with his hand. "She doesn't remember you, Evie. Nobody does. Everyone who is human thinks that you died in an accident. We had to stage the whole thing. I'm sorry." _She's torn. I knew I should have waited. But if I had, it all would have gone wrong._

I understood. He had to do it. I would never be able to see my family again or stay in town. Not when I couldn't age. "It's alright. You did what you had to do."

"Evie, there's one more thing," he began hesitantly. "Before I came here for you, I've been experimenting…" _How do I tell her? "Cal's tied up a few miles away in the woods and I've been trying to get him sober?" Yeah, that'll fly._

"What? He is?"

"Who is?"

I grimaced at myself. "Sorry. I should have waited until you said it out loud. I'm still having trouble controlling my powers. Cal's really tied up? How'd you manage that one?"

Damon was wide-eyed, jaw open.

I met his gaze. "What?"

"You just read my mind." He stated as if this was some sort of an explanation.

"Yeah, so? All vampires can do that… Can't they?"

He shook his head. "No, we taste thoughts and get inside people's heads. You heard exactly what I was thinking. That's what they must have done to you."

"What?" I asked, still unsure of what was going on.

"They made you part witch."

"Part witch?" I echoed. "Can they really do that?"

His eyebrows became a solid line. "I didn't think so. I guess they could duplicate powers. That would make sense, since Ben's the one who performed the ritual and he's the one with mind-reading powers. That's not a very common gift. I wonder…" He looked over at the lamp on my nightstand. "Try to lift that."

With a quizzical brow, I leaned over and picked up the lamp. Confused, I set it back down and looked at him questioningly.

"No, I mean with your mind."

I sighed and glared down at the lamp. Then I lifted up my palms like I'd seen Ben do once or twice and concentrated on what I wanted. _Up._ At the word in my head, the lamp began to levitate. "Whoa! What the heck?" I lost concentration, dropping my hands. With it, the lamp crashed onto the dark carpet. I glanced back at Damon who was smiling.

"You're amazing." He beamed, touching his hand to my cheek again. His face fell and he stood. "It's time for you to choose. I want you to be able to see both of our faces when you make the decision. He's been asking for you."

_But I can't! You need to know. _"But—"

He pressed a finger to my lips and shook his head. "I love you. You know I love you more than anyone I've ever thought I've loved before. My heart has dedicated its largest part to you. But I need to know if you really love me, too. I heard you when you said it before but you were human, easily swayed by something you didn't yet understand. If you can say it in front of him now, then I'll believe that's how you really feel." Without another word, he picked me up and sprinted off to Cal's hiding place.

The woods were alive with the different sounds of the nighttime, but when we approached the tree where Cal was chained, there was nothing. It was as if all of the animals had run away and hid from the scary monster in their forest. Owls flew to other trees, rabbits scurried away to find new burrows, and the deer took off into the opposite direction just to get away from the angry shouts of the crazed vampire.

Cal peered up at us when we stood in front of him holding hands and sneered. "Came back for me, did you. I thought you would have left me to die by now. I told you already, I'm clean."

"Sorry, Cal," Damon said. "But I don't trust you. I brought you Evie, just like you asked."

He rolled his head over to look at me. "Is he holding you as a hostage, too? If you'd like, we could be cellmates." The sarcasm in his tone was painful.

While all of my feelings for him had gone, part of me held onto the need for his approval.

Cal saw the hurt scrolling across my face and he frowned. "I'm sorry. It hasn't completely worn off yet. Brainless, man-eating Cal is echoing in my head." _Oh, stop being a sap, you big softy. She's a vampire now. Ravish her and get it over with so you can move onto the next bell._ He rattled his head about as if to suppress the thoughts. He was telling the truth.

I let go of Damon's hand and stepped closer to the vampire full of anguish and hell's fire. I placed my palm on his cheek and made him look at me. "I'm sorry about what they did to you and I'm sorry I didn't try harder to help you. I just didn't know what to do. You really frightened me and I thought I would never be able to talk to the real you ever again." I slipped off the chains that bound him and wrapped my arms around him, squeezing him tight.

He did the same and combed his fingers through my hair. "I'm glad I'm back. It was like being inside a movie theater with front row seats to the horror show but I couldn't do anything about what was happening on the screen. There were a couple of times I thought I was going to kill you and you would never come back."

Behind me I heard Damon turn to flee in defeat. He didn't want to see any more of this.

I drew away from the youngest brother, my expression completely blank. "I'm sorry, but I love someone else. You'll always be my first, and I'm thankful for that. You helped me see who I really was and showed me things about the world that I would have never imagined were possible." I backed up until I caught Damon by the hand. "But I love Damon." Ogling longingly, I made Damon stay and look at me as I continued. "I lied to you. The night we kissed, you asked me when I knew you were the one and I told you that it was opening night but it wasn't true. After you and I picked Tara up from the abandoned warehouse, you came into Cal's room while I was in the bathroom." My eyes watered as I recalled the feelings that I had felt that night. "When I got out, you had my necklace in your hand and told me that you loved me. But then you tried to make me forget, but I never did. I didn't think I would ever see my necklace again and was bringing some valerian with me to bed. It was in my fists when you spoke to me." I wept without restraint and fell into his chest. Now he knew.

"Why—why didn't you tell me?" He asked, wrapping his arms around me.

"I was going to but then all of this happened and I didn't know if I should go back."

He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head. "You're right. We can't go back. Besides, that house was getting boring anyway. This time I mean it when I say I'm never going to let you out of my sight again." He held my hand and faced his family member. "Take care of the house, will you, brother?"

Cal paused and then nodded. "Don't forget to write." He looked down at me and smiled, pivoted on his heel, and vanished into the forest.

Holding hands, Damon and I ran in the other direction back towards town. I wasn't exactly sure where we were going until we arrived and I saw the wonderful, dull blue Mustang parked alongside the curb. I leaned up against it, hugging myself to the car. Oh, the memories I had of that car, real or make believe. _Oh, you beautiful machine_, I cooed. My nose started going crazy, placing a smell that did not belong. However, it was a smell I knew well.

"I've got a couple dozen blood bags in a cooler in the trunk. I was trying to get Cal back into his regular bunny routine but his body was having a hard time quitting cold turkey. You should take some. I want you at your full strength before exam week begins." He unlocked the trunk and shoved the lid to the cooler aside to reveal the blood. Then he tossed me a bag. "Bon appétit."

I gently tore off the top part of the tube that stuck out of the bag and sucked on it until cold human blood filled my mouth. It didn't have the same taste as the body temperature kind but it was truthfully better than drinking animal blood. Since no one had to die to get the blood, I allowed it. I slid into the front seat of the car and waited for Damon to do the same. Then we were speeding down the road that led to the mansion at the tippy top of the town.

Damon parked the Mustang in front of the house and turned off the engine. Once he got the cooler out of the trunk, we went inside. There was nothing left in our lives to bring us down and it made me feel like I could fly from the energy that happiness was exerting. I practically floated up the stairs to my room, but crashed when I got to the bed. Damon took the cooler into the kitchen and met me upstairs a few seconds later. There was a slight moment of awkwardness. We both admitted our love for each other, so that was out of the way but now there was the issue of the sleeping arrangements.

_I should really get back to my dorm… I guess I could let him sleep here tonight and I'll meet him in the morning. But I don't think he's gonna go for that._

_ Neptune. Oval. Turtle muffins. Happy tree friends. Apple Pudding. Purple Elephants. Nectarines and Igloos. Normal maple syrup. Gorillas._

I stared questioningly at him. _What the heck is he doing?_ Then I took a second to think about it and listened to the points where he emphasized his thoughts. _N-o-t H-a-p-p-e-n-i-n-g… Oh…_ I pretended I wasn't paying attention and went to my closet to get some sheets and blankets for the naked mattress. I brought them over to the bed and started the tedious process of putting everything nicely on.

"What are you doing?" He asked, following me closely.

"Making the bed. Vampires got to sleep too, you know." I put on the finishing touches and turned down the covers.

He stood back and got a running start, catapulting himself onto the bed. Relaxed, he put his arms behind his head and smiled. Then he scooted over and tapped the mattress. "Vampires got to sleep too, you know." He repeated with a grin.

Nonchalantly, I made my way to the door. "Yeah, and this vampire is going to sleep in her own bed tonight." I looked away for a portion of a second only to see him again.

Blocking the doorway, as it were. "I told you I was never going to let you out of my sight. That was one promise I intend to keep, one way or another. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to go to bed now." He attacked me, pressed his lips mine, and sent the two of us sailing across the room until we hit the bed with cunning accuracy.

It made me remember a dream, a dream I'd had as a human. Two people were making out on the couch. Grant it, this was a bed and not a couch but the action was still the same. The two people were still the same. I kissed him back, letting months of separation spill into my every movement. Time ceased to exist within that moment. We could have been there for hours and neither of us would have ever known. That is, until Damon moved his head back to look at me adoringly.

My arms tightened around his neck, refusing to let him move any farther from me. "Sit, booboo, sit."

He took my hands and sat me up straight. "I rather prefer to kneel, actually." He got down on one knee and presented to me a little black box. Then he lifted the lid to expose the jewelry that rested comfortably in its case.

A flower. That's what the ring looked like to me. It was a blooming flower intricately made with diamonds in different shapes and sizes to fit into one spectacular masterpiece. At the center was a diamond the size of a small marble. I felt like I was about to tip over by merely looking at it. "You are the first person I have ever truly loved and I want you to be the last. Evie, will you spend your eternity with me?"

Is this what he was keeping from me? He was trying to distract me from what he was really thinking about? Honestly, I was surprised. "Do vampires even get married?" I asked.

"Evie, of course they get married. You want to marry me, don't you?" I'd wounded his manly feelings.

"Yes, I do! Of course I do!"

He smiled. "Good." He took the ring out of the box and slipped it gently onto the proper finger on my left hand. "It's been burning a hole in my pocket since the day after we kissed back at the house." _Before I separated myself from you._

My face lit up and I jumped on him, sending both of us falling flat on the carpet.

Damon flipped me over so he was on top of me and straightened out his arms to get a good look at his future wife. Then he closed the space between us altogether and kissed me with his cool, tender lips.

When I next awoke it was Monday, the day of my first exam. Mine didn't start until one in the afternoon but I knew the others in my dorm would be gone all day which meant it would be empty. After a nice breakfast of omelets and O positive, we got some boxes and went there to gather up everything that we could in one trip. We spent all morning packing, driving back to the mansion, dropping off the boxes, and going back for more. According to my contract I wasn't allowed to move out until after exam week. To appease this agreement, I left a single box on my bed that held all of my comforters and my pillow.

The rest of the morning was spent organizing the house and moving things around to make room for the stuff we were going to get. We moved our clothes—we had to go buy him an entire wardrobe to replace his old one—into the master bedroom, as well as our bobbles. Anything we didn't want or particularly like we put on the lawn for a garage sale that Damon was in charge of while I went to go take my test.

I got dressed in a dark blouse and a black flowing skirt with my crimson scarf and leather boots. I put on my jacket, tied the belt around my waist, and bounded down the stairs and out the door to say goodbye to my handsome fiancé who was arranging the items on card tables on the lawn.

Damon held me close and kissed me, needing the touch of a woman's affection. When he pulled away he looked down at my clothes, allured. "Are we trying to score points with the professor or are we visiting our little boyfriend at the hospital? Either way, I think you look too stunning for either of them."

"Maybe I put it on because I want to look pretty for my sexy, easily jealous fiancé. If you want, I can go change." I kissed him and his thoughts immediately went to the gutter.

"Just be sure to come back before dinner. I'm making something delicious."

I chuckled. "I think I'll be back by then." I gave him one more long, heartfelt kiss and got into the car, waving as I drove down the drive.

Thanks to my awesome planning, I still had an hour left before I had to take my test. That gave me plenty of time to go do exactly what Damon had guessed I was going to do: visit the boy in the hospital.

Promptly at noon, I stepped through the double doors into the Emergency wing. I waltzed right up to Leo's room and went inside. I was met by the doctor who had been dazzled by me the following evening.

"Oh, Miss Del Lenora. It's nice to see you again." He sounded flattered, as if I was coming to see him instead of his patient.

"Hello, doctor." I looked past him at the empty bed. "Is my brother here?"

He nodded. "He is on his way back from the college. He was very worried about missing his exams and we allowed him to go with an escort down to the campus. I'm here to see that he made it back in one piece. It is quite an usual circumstance but we were willing to cater to his needs."

I smiled. _That sounds like something I would have done while I was human. _"Thank you for taking such great care of him." I praised, happy to see he was in capable hands.

A few minutes later, Leo rolled into the room in a wheelchair with his attendant. I had almost forgotten he was completely covered in casts. Despite his condition, a tiny grin lit up his face. _Yes, I passed! Take that Billy Guercio! _When he saw me, that grin turned into a full out beam. "Evie." _Way to drop me off and ditch me. She did draw that picture for me. At least she gave me her name. I should thank her._

While the doctor and the muscular, black attendant hoisted him up into bed, I simply watched. Once they were done, the attendant left but the doctor remained to check up on the boy's condition… and chat my ear off.

Before he could even open his mouth, I turned him so Leo could no longer see me as I compelled the doctor to leave. "I'm sorry, could you excuse us?"

"Sure. Just call if there's anything you need."

"I will," I replied as I pushed him out the door. I turned back to Leo and sat down by his bed. "How are you feeling?"

His smile had dimmed down to a grin to make it seem like he was only modestly happy to see me. "I'm okay. I didn't realize there was so much damage. Thanks for bringing me in. They said if you hadn't, I could have suffered a… I forgot what they called it. Something really bad." He looked back at the wall. Taped behind his morphine drip was my picture. "And thanks for the picture. My sister's gonna love it." _This reminds me…_ "So you're my sister now?"

I chuckled. "Only to make sure I could come and visit you whenever I wanted. It's easier that way." _Although, I always did want a brother, no one could replace my Ben in that department._

"A huh." He glanced at my ring. "Were you wearing that yesterday?" _Dark clothes, check. Red scarf, check. Super hot, check. But I'm pretty sure, even with the broken leg thing, I would have noticed that giant rock. I bet he's in a band, whoever he is. He better treat her good or I may have to take her from him for good measure._

"No, actually. I wasn't. My boyfriend proposed to me after I brought you here." _Call me dysfunctional. Now I'm really gonna have a brother! Which used to be my boyfriend… Won't those family reunions be awkward…?_

"Ah, well congratulations, then. When's the wedding?" _Maybe I'll crash it._

"Saturday at town hall. Neither of us has any family we feel like impressing so we're just going to go make it official." And I was perfectly okay with it. I was actually the one who suggested skipping the white wedding. It would only make things harder for me. For us.

Leo grinned with a bit of effort. "I'll have to make you a wedding present while I'm stuck in here for the next time you visit… You will visit again, won't you?" It almost sounded like begging.

I smiled, truly privileged. "I'll come in every day this week. How does that sound?"

The corners of his lips turned up. "Great."

I looked at the clock and stood up. "I'd love to stay but I have to go take my exam but I'll see you tomorrow." I tried my best not to hurt him as I gave him a hug and walked out of the room with a pleasant grin adorning my face. In the last remaining minutes that I had, I sped down the streets to the testing center in the nick of time.

As I had guessed, the final was a breeze. I turned it in twenty minutes later—I always make sure to take the time it would take for a normal person to finish it—and watched the television screen as the prompter scanned in my answer sheet. _Yes! One hundred percent!_

I rushed back home in the Mustang, which got plenty of looks from the car enthusiasts in my school, and screeched to a halt when I arrived. A surprising amount of people were standing on my front lawn, appraising the antiques and war memorabilia. I ran past them to my soon-to-be husband and threw my arms around his neck to restrain him as I planted one on him in front of everyone. "I got a hundred on my exam!"

He kissed me back and grinned. "I'm so proud of you!" He glanced up at an older woman who was staring.

_Young people these days. Always displaying their affections in public. It's very rude and appalling. In my day we never did something so vulgar. Not unless you wanted to be branded as a harlot._

I giggled at the thought. A typical old lady shaking her fist mentally at a young couple and talking about the "good old days."

Damon looked back at me. "What?"

I grinned innocently. "Nothing." Out of spite for the woman, I grabbed either side of his head and forced myself on him. As the vampire 2.0, thanks to my best friends and a couple of evil Originals, I was stronger and he couldn't escape me. When I was good and satisfied, I abruptly tore myself away and sprinted off towards the side of the house, giggling uncontrollably. The woman was shaking her head at us and reminding herself that foolish kids like us were the reason she was glad to have sensible children who had gone off to boarding school, which only made me happier.

He chased after me, speeding up as we got out of sight from the customers, and caught me by my coat. Then he pushed me up against the house, leaning his forearm on the wall, and eagerly continued where we left off. His other hand he used to hold my chin in place.

Eventually, I had to push him back and order him to go hold down the garage sale. Before he left, I purposefully messed up his hair and unbuttoned the first button of his shirt, just to drive granny off the edge. Then I hit his rear and told him to go with a giggle. I went in the house through the back and sat down at the kitchen counter to make a few phone calls. Our wedding was taking place this Saturday. Nothing fancy. Just a couple of nice outfits and a visit to town hall. Then we were going to visit England for our holiday honeymoon.

After I called the town hall to confirm our appointment and the airport to book our seats in first class, I dialed a third number.

"Hello?" The sound of a woman's voice came on the phone.

I smiled, glad that I could hear her voice again.

"Hello? Who is this?" Aunt Fauna asked impatiently. She never was a patient person. She was the kid who turned the cereal box upside down and opened the bottom to get her prize. Ian had his hands full.

My face dropped as I remembered I wasn't allowed to speak to her.

Arms wrapped around me. Damon took the phone slowly from my hand and ended the call. Then he let me cry on his chest until I had the control to stop myself and move on. He stroked my hair and said, "That part of your life may be over but something even better is ahead of us. I promise."

Up until dinnertime, I never left his side. Our hands entwined, we sat behind a table on the front lawn and played cashiers all the way to five o'clock. By then, people had stopped coming and more than three-quarters of the merchandise was gone. The rest would be sold the following day. For dinner we had steak, mashed potatoes with the skins on, and veggies. It was a dinner that I'd had before but prepared by a different chef. It tasted better than the last, not only because I had better company.

"Did you teach Cal how to cook?" I brought up during a silent moment when our mouths were too busy with the food to speak.

He swallowed the mouthful of meat and nodded. "Taught him everything he knows."

"Did you ever want to have kids?"

A funny look came across his face.

"I mean, before you turned into a vampire."

He put down his fork and knife and set his hands on the table. "To be honest, I wanted dozens of them. It didn't change when I did but I knew it was no longer possible. What are you thinking about?"

I shrugged. "I just never thought about it until now. I wanted to know if you thought about it before, too."

"Yes, I did." _I'm sorry._

I shook my head. "It's okay." Random, right? I couldn't believe some of the stuff that was slipping out. It was like I finally had someone to talk to but now my social filter was gone and everything seemed to fall out of my head before I could prevent it.

From that point on, I tried to incorporate some normal small talk into the conversation, for his sake. I told him about the old lady that was thinking mean things about me and he nearly leaped out of his seat to go eat her. Laughs filled the house thanks to a nice mood change. We were going to be the annoying young couple at the end of the block. I could tell.

As midnight approached, I went upstairs to change into my pajamas. I put each article of clothing into the dirty clothes hamper as I removed it. When I got to my slip, I stood in front of the mirror from the side. I ran my hand over my flat stomach and tried to picture the same stomach blown up to the size of a watermelon. It would never be able to happen that way for me. Vampires could spend their entire lives trying to have children but they never could. Their biological clocks ended when their humanity ended. Still, it was hard not to want something I couldn't have. I thought about everything I would miss—the birth, the excitement of seeing my baby take its first steps, hearing its first word and the sound of my name, seeing my husband's eyes in the face of the child in my arms—and I craved it even more.

A hand covered mine as Damon flexed his muscles, squeezing me tight. He kissed my neck and rested his chin on my shoulder. "Maybe one day, while they're looking for the cure for cancer, they'll find us a way to have kids. We can always adopt." He swayed me back and forth as I stared at the two of us in the mirror.

_It's not the same._ It wasn't just the child that I wanted. The experience of childbearing had to come along with it.

He saw the disheartened line of my jaw. Suddenly, his eyes were filled with determination and he began to caress my skin, sending chills down my spine.

I tried to search his thoughts to see what all of this was about.

_Don't think about it. Just do it. Don't think about it. Just do it._

_ Do what?_ I wondered. Whatever it was, he didn't want me to know. I turned around to face him but that didn't stop him. He was persistent. "What are you doing?" I demanded.

He didn't respond with words, but actions. Damon slipped off his shirt and held me close to him, leaving no space to breath with his arm holding me there around the middle. I wanted to push him away, to tell him that we didn't have to do this, especially not now. His lips were on mine which made it even harder to resist him. What I wanted didn't exist anymore. It was like the option hit the road and wasn't going to come back no more. This was really going to happen.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were all the same, if not very similar to Monday. Wake up, waste away the morning, visit Leo, take my final, come home and waste more time until I go to bed. On Friday, there was a bit of a twist.

The first thing I did when I woke up was run to the bathroom that was very much unused considering the people who lived there. I bent down over the toilet and emptied the bloody contents of my stomach. It looked bad but then I remembered I had a blood bag during dinner and it made a bit more sense. When I was done, I flushed and cleaned off my face before I trudged back into the room.

"What's the point of being a vampire if I still catch the flu?" I complained, falling hard on the bed beside my fiancé.

Damon propped himself up on his elbow and focused his eyes on my stomach. Without a word, he laid his head on my belly and sat perfectly still for a minute. _A heartbeat._

My eyes blinked. "A heartbeat? What do you mean a heartbeat?"

"Shh! Listen." He let his mind absorb the sounds that he was hearing, allowing me to almost take a step into his shoes.

My brown eyes grew wide, matching the look on his face exactly. We both glanced at each other at the same exact time and smiles spread across our lips. "We're gonna have a baby!" We shouted, bouncing up and down on the bed like a couple of preteens.

He continued to bounce while he questioned curiously, "But how? We're not supposed to be able to."

"I don't know. It must be my witch side acting up again. Ben says that if we really want something and it's powered by our emotions, we can make anything happen. This must be one of those times. Isn't it great?" My teeth shined in the light of the rising sun pouring through our window that overlooked the garden in the back.

He stopped us from jumping and held my gaze. "Evie, you gotta be careful. We don't want something bad to happen because you can't control your powers. Now that we're going to have a baby, you have to be twice as careful. Some of your magic may have side effects we don't know about." _I still can't believe we're having a baby!_ He was happy for us, just a worried father already.

_I wonder what we we're gonna name it. If it's a girl, maybe Tara? At least as a middle name. I know he wouldn't deny me that. Or maybe Tara Lynn. That sounds nice. If it's a boy, Damon Jr. or Leonardo Benjamin Moretti. That sounds great, I think! _I gave him a kiss and leaned on his shoulder. "We're gonna be parents, Damon." I stated softly.

Damon held my head in position and rested his face on top of my hair. "I know. And what a wonderful mother you'll make."

All of my exams were over by then so we were free to pick up my remaining items from the dorm. We stopped by at around lunchtime in our beautiful blue Mustang. The whole way there we were going on to each other about what we were going to do when our child was born and we were married tomorrow. It was amazing to think about.

I went inside alone while Damon waited out in the car. It was only one box so it was really only a one person job. To my dismay, Leia was there in the room when I came in.

"Evie! Where have you been? You never came back Sunday night and when I got home on Monday after my final, you weren't here and all I found was this box sitting here on your bed. Where were you?" Her voice was high and shrilly like a pet Chihuahua.

"I was at my house. I just thought I'd move all of my stuff early."

She got down from the top bunk where she was sitting and met me face to face. "What about that guy? Are you okay? Did he do something to you?"

I smiled and showed her my ring. "Actually, he proposed." _And now I'm a vampire bride-to-be who is about to have his kid which technically shouldn't be happening but somehow is!_

"Propose? Are you sure you want to go through with something like that? You seemed really frightened before?"

Was I sure? I had a confident answer for that. I picked up the box and started out the door. Before I left, I turned to face her and replied, "I have never been more sure about anything in my entire life." I raced out to the car with my stuff and threw it in the back.

"Ready to go?" Damon asked with a smile, his hand on the wheel.

I took his free hand and beamed back at him. "Ready."

I was about to marry the man of my dreams and live my fairytale life. I was ready for anything.

The End

Thanks for reading!


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